Patent ID: 7795009

Claim:
A three component molecular biosensor, the molecular biosensor comprising two epitope binding agent constructs and an oligonucleotide construct, which together have formula (III): R 24 -R 25 -R 26 -R 27 ; R 28 -R 29 -R 30 -R 31 ; O (III) wherein: R 24 is an epitope binding agent that binds to a first epitope on a target molecule; R 25 is a flexible linker attaching R 24 to R 26 ; R 26 and R 30 are a pair of nucleotide sequences that are not complementary to each other, but are complementary to two distinct regions on O; R 27 and R 31 are labels that together comprise a detection means such that when R 26 and R 30 associate with O a detectable signal is produced, wherein the detection means is selected from the group consisting of fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET), lanthamide resonance energy transfer (LRET), fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching, fluorescence polarization, flow cytometry, scintillation proximity, luminescence resonance energy transfer, direct quenching, chemiluminescence energy transfer, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer, excimer formation, colorimetric substrates detection, phosphorescence, electro-chemical changes, and redox potential changes; R 28 is an epitope binding agent that binds to a second epitope on the target molecule; R 29 is a flexible linker attaching R 28 to R 30 ; and O is a nucleotide sequence comprising a first region that is complementary to R 26 , and a second region that is complementary to R 30 .