Ultra-rapid DNA analysis using HyBeacon™ probes and direct PCR amplification from saliva

Patient Attitudes Toward Genotyping in an Urban Women’s Health Clinic

“…Rapid access to salivary DNA results may promote point-of-care genetic testing that would be more acceptable to the public than having to undergo a needlestick. 23 It is also encouraging that, while there is a difference of willingness to donate blood for DNA among different ethnic groups, there was no significant difference in the willingness to donate saliva. This finding is encouraging, as minorities need to be represented in genetic association studies.…”

HyBeacons®: A novel DNA probe chemistry for rapid genetic analysis

“…Probes comprise specific linear oligonucleotides that possess a fluorescent dye label attached to an internal nucleotide and a 3V phosphate to prevent PCR extension [1][2][3]. Probes are included in PCR assays and emit greater amounts of fluorescence when hybridised to complementary target sequences than when single-stranded.…”

“…Increasing the reaction temperature above the melting temperature (Tm) of the HyBeacon causes probe/target duplexes to dissociate and the amount of fluorescence emission to decrease. Sequences differing by as little as a single nucleotide may be detected and differentiated on the basis of melt peak Tm [1,2]. Fifty cycles of amplification and melt analysis may be completed in as little as 16 min using rapid real-time PCR instruments such as the LightCycler.…”

Pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic research for the prediction of response to antipsychotics in schizophrenia

“…Several biotechnological companies commercialise detection methods that could run prediction tests in shorter times: hybridisation strips containing probes for the detection of disease or response-related alleles represent an inexpensive alternative [De Gobbi et al, 2003;Oberkanins et al, 2000]. Fluorescent-labelled beacons combined with sequence detection and allele discrimination using real-time PCR [French et al, 2002] could also produce information on an individual's pharmacogenetic profile in a few hours at an affordable cost.…”