Detection and typing of human papillomavirus using PNA probes

A method for detecting the presence of a target nucleic acid of a human papilloma virus (HPV) in a sample cell, comprising the steps of:

• suspending a sample cell that may comprise a target nucleic acid of a HPV in a cell preservative solution
• separating said a target nucleic acid from said sample cell wherein said separated target nucleic acid remains in said cell preservative solution wherein said cell preservative solution comprises an alcohol in an amount sufficient to preserve said sample cells without coagulation;
• contacting said target nucleic acid in said cell preservative solution with at least one probe comprising at least one peptide nucleic acid (PNA), said at least one probe being substantially complementary to portions of nucleic acids of multiple HPV types;
• allowing said at least one probe to hybridize with said target nucleic acid, if present, in said cell preservative solution;
• and
• detecting hybridization between said at least one probe and said target nucleic acid in said solution;
• wherein the detection of said hybridization is indicative of the presence of a target nucleic acid of a HPV in a sample cell.