Molecular beacons

Patent Pending Molecular beacons are oligonucleotide hybridization probes that can report the presence of specific nucleic acids in homogenous solutions. The term more often used is molecular beacon probes. Molecular beacons are hairpin shaped molecules with an internally quenched fluorophore whose fluorescence is restored when they bind to a target nucleic acid sequence. This is a novel non-radioactive method for detecting specific sequences of nucleic acids. They are useful in situations where it is either not possible or desirable to isolate the probe-target hybrids from an excess of the hybridization probes.