Abstract: [Problems] To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. [Means for Solving Problems] 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: A nucleic acid probe set includes (A) a fluorescent probe and (B) a binding probe. The fluorescent probe (A) is formed of an oligonucleotide, which includes (a) a nucleotide unit labeled with (d) a fluorescent substance. The binding probe (B) is formed of an oligonucleotide having (b1) a fluorescent probe binding region, which can hybridize to the fluorescent probe (A), and (b2) a target nucleic acid binding region, which can hybridize to a target nucleic acid sequence (C). The fluorescent substance (d) is a fluorescent substance which changes in fluorescent character upon interaction with guanine. At least one of nucleotide units which constitute the fluorescent probe (A) is an artificial nucleotide unit having a function to raise a dissociation temperature between the probe (A) and the fluorescent probe binding region (b1). The nucleic acid probe is provided with an improved fluorescence quenching efficiency.

Abstract: A nucleic acid probe set includes (A) a fluorescent probe and (B) a binding probe. The fluorescent probe (A) is formed of an oligonucleotide, which includes (a) a nucleotide unit labeled with (d) a fluorescent substance. The binding probe (B) is formed of an oligonucleotide having (b1) a fluorescent probe binding region, which can hybridize to the fluorescent probe (A), and (b2) a target nucleic acid binding region, which can hybridize to a target nucleic acid sequence (C). The fluorescent substance (d) is a fluorescent substance which changes in fluorescent character upon interaction with guanine. At least one of nucleotide units which constitute the fluorescent probe (A) is an artificial nucleotide unit having a function to raise a dissociation temperature between the probe (A) and the fluorescent probe binding region (b1). The nucleic acid probe is provided with an improved fluorescence quenching efficiency.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. [Means for Solving Problems] 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. [Means for Solving Problems] 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: A nucleic acid probe set includes (A) a fluorescent probe and (B) a binding probe. The fluorescent probe (A) is formed of an oligonucleotide, which includes (a) a nucleotide unit labeled with (d) a fluorescent substance. The binding probe (B) is formed of an oligonucleotide having (b1) a fluorescent probe binding region, which can hybridize to the fluorescent probe (A), and (b2) a target nucleic acid binding region, which can hybridize to a target nucleic acid sequence (C). The fluorescent substance (d) is a fluorescent substance which changes in fluorescent character upon interaction with guanine. At least one of nucleotide units which constitute the fluorescent probe (A) is an artificial nucleotide unit having a function to raise a dissociation temperature between the probe (A) and the fluorescent probe binding region (b1). The nucleic acid probe is provided with an improved fluorescence quenching efficiency.

Abstract: To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. [Means for Solving Problems] 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: A method of detecting and quantifying viable cells in a sample. The method includes fluorescently staining the cells by adding a fluorescent dye into the sample or putting the sample in contact with the fluorescent dye. A quenching dye is then added to the stained sample, or the sample is put into contact with the quenching dye, at a pH different from the pH in the viable cells. The quenching dye used is permeable through the membrane of a viable cell and does not readily absorb fluorescence of the fluorescent dye at the pH in the viable cells, but absorbs the fluorescence of the fluorescent dye at the pH of the fluorescent dye. Next, the sample, now stained with the fluorescent dye and the quenching dye, is illuminated by an excitation light for the fluorescent dye at a pH different from the pH in the viable cells and the fluorescence emitted from the sample is collected and detected.

Abstract: [Problems] To provide a novel mixture for assaying a target nucleic acid, characterized by enabling a nucleic acid assay while: 1) requiring no step of diluting the target nucleic acid; 2) requiring no procedure of changing a probe concentration depending on a concentration of the target nucleic acid. [Means for Solving Problems] 1) A mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and two nucleic acid probes labeled with a fluorescent dye; 2) a mixture for measuring Km value which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid having a partial mutation and one nucleic acid probe labeled with a fluorescent dye; 3) a mixture which comprises one internal standard nucleic acid and one double nucleic acid probe labeled with two fluorescent dyes; and a method for assaying a nucleic acid by making use thereof.

Abstract: A method for detecting microorganisms or cells wherein microorganisms or cells contained in a sample are captured on the surface of the adhesive layer of a collection sheet having a substrate layer containing a focusing marker, an adhesive layer having a predetermined thickness and deposited on this substrate layer, the microorganisms or cells are stained by a staining reagent, and after being automatically focused, the light receiving optical system or the collection sheet is moved relatively by a distance equivalent to that obtained by adding the distance from the surface of the substrate layer to the position of the focusing marker to the predetermined thickness of the adhesive layer from the focusing position by this autofocusing reference point, the microorganisms or cells on the adhesive layer are automatically focused, and a light is radiated on the focused adhesive layer to measure the image and detect the microorganisms or cells.

Abstract: A method of counting microorganisms or cells in a sample by labeling the microorganisms or cells with a fluorescent labeling reagent, which comprises contacting the sample containing the microorganisms or cells with an adhesive sheet having an adhesive layer laminated on at least one surface of a substrate to capture the sample; before fluorescent-labeling the microorganisms or cells, obtaining a first fluorescent image of the sample; after fluorescent-labeling the microorganisms or the cells, obtaining a second fluorescent image of the sample, and then determining the difference in the number of luminous points between the first and second images, or determining a differential image between the first and second images and determining the number of luminous points in this differential image, or determining the number of luminous points among the luminous points in the second image located outside non-sensitive regions attached to the individual luminous points in the first image.

Abstract: A method of detecting and quantifying viable cells in a sample. The method includes fluorescently staining the cells by adding a fluorescent dye into the sample or putting the sample in contact with the fluorescent dye. A quenching dye is then added to the stained sample, or the sample is put into contact with the quenching dye, at a pH different from the pH in the viable cells. The quenching dye used is permeable through the membrane of a viable cell and does not readily absorb fluorescence of the fluorescent dye at the pH in the viable cells, but absorbs the fluorescence of the fluorescent dye at the pH of the fluorescent dye. Next, the sample, now stained with the fluorescent dye and the quenching dye, is illuminated by an excitation light for the fluorescent dye at a pH different from the pH in the viable cells and the fluorescence emitted from the sample is collected and detected.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adhesive sheet and a kit for microbial testing, which enable monitoring of the presence of a microorganism and/or the cell count thereof on a solid surface conveniently on a real time basis, and which accommodate to automated focusing during image analysis. The present invention relates to an adhesive sheet for microbial testing having at least a substrate and an adhesive layer, which adhesive layer is compression-bonded to, and peeled from, the surface of a test article to collect microorganisms, and the surface of the adhesive layer is then subjected to image analysis, wherein a marker for focusing the image is provided in the substrate, or in the adhesive layer, or on the surface thereof.