Probe for detecting and treating virus

A probe for detecting and/or treating a virus, the probe comprising:

• a metal particle;
• and
• one or more molecular beacons, each molecular beacon comprising an anti-target nucleic acid molecule and an oligo nucleic acid molecule,
• wherein the anti-target nucleic acid molecule is bound to the surface of the metal particle and comprises a non-target site and a target-specific binding site;
• wherein the oligo nucleic acid molecule comprises a non-target site, an anti-target nucleic acid molecule-complementary binding site and a fluorescent material;
• wherein the GC content in the non-target site of the anti-target nucleic acid molecule is 50% or more and the GC content in the non-target site of the oligo nucleic acid molecule is 50% or more;
• wherein the non-target site of the oligo nucleic acid molecule complementarily binds to the non-target site of the anti-target nucleic acid molecule;
• wherein the anti-target nucleic acid molecule and the oligo nucleic acid molecule are two separate nucleic acid strands,
• wherein the probe has a temperature (Tm0) greater than or equal to 36° C. (Tm0≥36° C.), the temperature (Tm0) being a temperature at which for a population of identical molecular beacons, the anti-target nucleic acid molecule and the oligo nucleic acid molecule of 50% of the total molecular beacons are separated from each other;
• wherein the probe has a temperature (Tm1) that is lower than Tm0 (Tm0>Tm1), the temperature (Tm1) being a temperature at which for a population of identical molecular beacons, when the target-specific binding site of the anti-target nucleic acid molecule is bound to a target, 50% of the total target-specific binding site is separated from the target;
• and
• wherein the probe has a temperature (Tm2) that is lower than Tm0 and Tm1, the temperature (Tm2) being a temperature at which for a population of identical molecular beacons, when the target-specific binding site of the anti-target nucleic acid molecule is bound to a target, 50% of a non-target site of the anti-target nucleic acid molecule is separated from a non-target site of the oligo nucleic acid molecule.