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Abstract

Disclosed is a biological probe characterised in that it comprises a single-stranded nucleotide region the ends of which are attached to two different oligonucleotide regions wherein at least one of the oligonucleotide regions comprises detectable elements having a characteristic detection property and wherein the detectable elements are so arranged on the oligonucleotide region that the detectable property is less detectable than when the same number detectable elements are bound to a corresponding number of single nucleotides. The biological probe is especially useful for capturing single nucleotides or single-stranded nucleotides to create a used probe which can be degraded by means of a restriction enzyme and an exonuclease to generate single nucleotides carrying a detectable element in a form which can be detected. Typically the detectable elements are fluorophores and the corresponding characteristic fluorescence is rendered undetectable in the probe by for example the use of multiple adjacent fluorophores or mixtures of fluorophores and quenchers attached thereto. Preferably the single stranded nucleotide region is comprised of a single nucleotide whose associated nucleotide base is one of the characteristic of the nucleotides bases found in DNA or RNA.

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First Claim