Abstract: Disclosed is a method of quantifying a target nucleic acid in a test sample by adding to the test sample a known number of molecules of a corresponding nucleic acid comprising a well-defined mutant sequence. Said mutant sequence being discriminatory from the target nucleic acid. Subsequently a competitive amplification reaction of the nucleic acid is performed after which quantification of the amplified nucleic acid is performed by a differential detection.

Abstract: A process for making the product of a nucleic acid amplification reaction, which amplification reaction employs one or more primer pairs, incapable of being a target for further amplification comprising: contacting the amplified product with an oligonucleotide capable of hybridizing to a stretch a nucleotides of the amplified product, said stretch being situated between the hybridisation sites of a pair of primers, under conditions which allow formation of a hybridisation complex between the oligonucleotide and the amplified product to occur, said oligonucleotide being modified in such a way that it.protects the double stranded part of the hybridisation complex hybridized to the oligonucleotide from degradation, and subjecting the hybridisation complex to a degradative treatment under circumstances such that at least the part of the hybridisation complex capable of hybridizing to the primers is degraded.