Abstract: The present invention provides mutant DNA polymerases, polynucleotides encoding the polymerases, cassettes and vectors including such polynucleotides, and cells containing the polymerases, polynucleotides, cassettes, and/or vectors of the invention. The present invention also provides methods for synthesizing polynucleotides and kits including a DNA polymerase of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides amplification-based methods for detection of genotype, mutations, and/or aneuploidy. These methods have broad applicability, but are particularly well-suited to detecting and quantifying target nucleic acids in free fetal DNA present in a maternal bodily fluid sample.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers facilitate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers facilitate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers facilitate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.

Abstract: The present invention provides mutant DNA polymerases, polynucleotides encoding the polymerases, cassettes and vectors including such polynucleotides, and cells containing the polymerases, polynucleotides, cassettes, and/or vectors of the invention. The present invention also provides methods for synthesizing polynucleotides and kits including a DNA polymerase of the invention.

Abstract: A set of 4,7-dichlororhodamine compounds useful as fluorescent dyes are disclosed having the structures wherein R1-R6 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, lower alkyl, lower alkene, lower alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, amido, nitrile, lower alkoxy, linking group, or, when taken together, R1 and R6 is benzo, or, when taken together, R4 and R5 is benzo; R7-R10, R12-R16 and R18 may be hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, lower alkyl, lower alkene, lower alkyne, sulfonate, sulfone, amino, amido, nitrile, lower alkoxy, linking group; R11 and R17 may be hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower alkene, lower alkyne, phenyl, aryl, linking group; Y1-Y4 are hydrogen, lower alkyl, or cycloalkyl, or, when taken together, Y1 and R2, Y2 and R1 Y3 and R3, and/or Y4 and R4 is propano, ethano, or substituted forms thereof, and X1-X3 taken separately are hydrogen, chlorine, fluorine, lower alkyl, carboxylate, sulfonate, hydroxymethyl, and linking group, or any combinations thereof.

Abstract: Methods for generating nucleic acid size standards are disclosed. The methods comprise providing a template polynucleotide which comprises periodic sequences of from about 5 to about 50 contiguous nucleotides containing not more than three types of nucleotides and wherein adjacent periodic sequences are separated by a terminator complement nucleotide that differs from the not more than three types of nucleotides, and performing a primer extension reaction on the template polynucleotide in the presence of nucleoside triphosphate molecules and a 3? terminating nucleoside triphosphate which is complementary to the terminator complement nucleotide.

Abstract: Novel linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye are provided. These linkers faciliate the efficient transfer of energy between a donor and acceptor dye in an energy transfer dye. One of these linkers for linking a donor dye to an acceptor dye in an energy transfer fluorescent dye has the general structure R21Z1C(O)R22R28 where R21 is a C1-5 alkyl attached to the donor dye, C(O) is a carbonyl group, Z1 is either NH, sulfur or oxygen, R22 is a substituent which includes an alkene, diene, alkyne, a five and six membered ring having at least one unsaturated bond or a fused ring structure which is attached to the carbonyl carbon, and R28 includes a functional group which attaches the linker to the acceptor dye.