Method for nucleic acid detection

Abstract

A method for nucleic acid detection includes the steps of (a) adding to the sample a thermostable polymerase, appropriate nucleoside triphosphates, a nucleic-acid-binding fluorescent entity, and a pair of first and second primers that have nucleotide sequences substantially complementary to a DNA which flanks the target nucleic acid wherein the 3′-end nucleotide of the first primer is complementary to at least one variant nucleotide in a target nucleic acid contained in a sample; (b) thermally cycling the sample between at least a denaturation temperature and an elongation temperature; (c) illuminating the sample with a selected wavelength of light that is absorbed by the fluorescent entity during the thermally cycling step; (d) monitoring an amplification dependent emission of the fluorescent entity; and (e) detecting the presence or absence of the variant nucleotide by judging the presence or absence of an amplified product of the DNA.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.