Development of new PCR detection methods based on use of exceptionally short FRET

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Proposed for further development is a new PCR system design which, according to our preliminary study, may allow the use of extremely short lt 6-8-mer FRET probes for nucleic acid detection in post-PCR and real-time PCR formats. The goal of this project is to enable the fractional sale of FRET-probes on the market by establishing a so-called universal probe library. The complete library would always contain a complementary probe component for any given sequence of the target DNA. This is anticipated to save many millions of dollars of public and private money and significantly accelerate scientific research in genomics, pharmacogenomics and other healthcare-related disciplines. At the end of the project we aim to optimize and finalize the system design for the newly discovered method and estimate the anticipated sizes of the corresponding universal probe libraries for the post-PCR and real-time applications. The new assays will have application in both research and clinical settings for disease linkage studies, population analysis, expression profiling and pathogen identification. Due to its unparalleled cost effectiveness, this new technology is expected to quickly replace the conventional assays and molecular tools currently used for nucleic acid detection and diagnostics. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Proposed for further development is a new PCR system design which, according to our preliminary study, may allow the use of extremely short lt 6-8-mer FRET probes for nucleic acid detection in post-PCR and real-time PCR formats. The new assays will have application in both research and clinical settings for disease linkage studies, population analysis, expression profiling and pathogen identification.