Patent ID: 7494791

Claim:
A method for amplifying a nucleic acid, comprising: (a) contacting one or more template strands of single-stranded nucleic acid with one or more oligonucleotide primers complementary to a portion of the one or more template strands; (b) annealing at least one primer of the one or more primers to the portion of the one or more template strands to which the primer is complementary; (c) contacting the one or more template strands with a nucleic acid polymerase and at least four different nucleoside triphosphates; (d) extending the at least one annealed primer by the nucleic acid polymerase thereby forming one or more extension products bound to the one or more template strands; (e) separating the one or more extension products from the one or more template strands; and (f) repeating steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) to amplify the nucleic acid, wherein at least one of the one or more extension products in step (e) is used as template strands in a subsequent cycle of steps (a)-(e), wherein, for the last cycle, step (e) is optional, and wherein at least one of steps (b) or (d) comprises applying tension that tends to stretch the nucleic acid to the one or more template strands.