Abstract: A method of determining whether one or more forms of a nucleic acid analyte are present in a sample. The method includes dissolving an amplification reagent with a first solvent, where the amplification reagent contains oligonucleotides sufficient to amplify and detect a first region of a first form of the analyte, where the first solvent contains one or more oligonucleotides which, in combination with the oligonucleotides of the amplification reagent, are sufficient to amplify and detect a second region of a second form of the analyte, where the one or more oligonucleotides of the first solvent are insufficient to amplify and detect the first or second form of the analyte, and where the first and second regions each comprise a different nucleotide base sequence.

Abstract: An automated system for performing nucleic acid amplification assays on samples provided to the system, where the system includes data input components configured to enable input specifying one or more user-defined assay parameters; data storage media storing a first set of assay parameters, the first set of assay parameters consisting of system-defined parameters, and a second set of assay parameters, the second set of assay parameters including the one or more user-defined parameters; and command input components configured to enable input specifying (i) that a first nucleic acid amplification assay be performed on a first sample in accordance with the first set of assay parameters, and (ii) that a second nucleic acid amplification assay be performed on a second sample in accordance with the second set of assay parameters.