Patent Document ID: 20040014065
Application ID: 10296860
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for determining the likelihood that a test polynucleotide sequence differs from a driver polynucleotide sequence said method comprising preparing a composition comprising said test and driver polynucleotide sequences and a target polynucleotide sequence wherein under competitive hybridization conditions the driver polynucleotide sequence will more preferentially hybridize to the target polynucleotide sequence compared to said test polynucleotide sequence when said test polynucleotide sequence differs from said driver polynucleotide sequence by at least one nucleotide and wherein both said test and said driver polynucleotide sequence is labelled with a reporter molecule capable of providing an identifiable signal, subjecting said composition to competitive hybridization conditions and screening for the presence of a signal where the level of signal relative to a control is indicative of which polynucleotide sequence has competitively hybridized to said target sequence wherein an elevated ratio of driver polynucleotide hybridization to said target sequence is indicative that said test polynucleotide sequence differs from said driver polynucleotide sequence, said ratio being determined in the following formula: (D:T) comp /(D:T) control D is the driver-label; T is the test-label; Comp is the D:T ratio under competitive hybridization conditions; and Control is the D:T ratio under control conditions.