Abstract: The present disclosure and invention relates to a method for detecting a target nucleic acid sequence in a target molecule using padlock probes and rolling circle amplification (RCA) in a 2-stage RCA reaction, a so-called superRCA (sRCA), also termed “SafeLock” herein, which generates a second-generation RCA product, by means of which the target nucleic acid sequence may be detected and distinguished from other nucleic acid sequences. The method relies on gap-fill-ligation padlock probe technology, and may be used to detect variant sequences that may occur in samples. Also provided are kits for use in the method.

Abstract: A device for use in the separation of biological samples into a solid component and a liquid component. The device comprises a front cover and a back cover connected at a hinge portion such that the device is operable between an open position and a closed position. A separation membrane is arranged to retain the solid component and to allow the liquid component to pass therethrough, and an absorption membrane is arranged to retain the liquid component. The separation and absorption membranes are arranged in a layered structure between the front and back covers. Opening the device from the closed position to the open position causes the separation and absorption membranes to bend, thereby applying a compressive force to the membranes.

Abstract: Nucleic acid probes for detection of a target nucleic acid molecule by an RCA reaction in the presence of the target nucleic acid molecule, comprise a first circular template strand which is capable of acting as a template for RCA, and is protected from RCA in the absence of the target nucleic acid molecule by at least a second protector strand which comprises a region of complementarity to the first template strand and is hybridised thereto to form a double-stranded circular structure containing the first template strand inside the protector strand(s). At least one of the second and/or any further protector strands comprises a target binding site, such that upon binding of the probe to the target nucleic acid molecule the probe is able to undergo a strand displacement reaction which allows RCA of the first template strand. Methods of detecting target analytes use such probes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for selecting a target region of interest (ROI) in a target nucleic acid molecule using a nucleic acid probe comprising a 3? sequence capable of hybridising to a target nucleic acid molecule and acting as a primer for the production of a complement of the target ROI (i.e. by target templated extension of the primer), and a sequence capable of templating the circularisation and ligation of the extended probe comprising the reverse complement of the target ROI and a portion of the probe. The circularised molecule thus obtained contains the reverse complement of the target ROI and may be subjected to further analysis and/or amplification etc. The probe may be provided as an oligonucleotide comprising a stem-loop structure or as a partially double-stranded construct and comprises a single-stranded 3? end region containing the target-binding site.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of selecting a target region of interest (ROI) in a target nucleic acid molecule using a nucleic acid probe comprising sequences capable of directing the cleavage of a target nucleic acid molecule to release a fragment comprising the ROI and sequences capable of templating the circularisation and ligation of the target fragment. The circularised molecule thus obtained contains the selected ROI and may be subjected to further analysis and/or amplification etc. Also provided are probes and kits for use in such methods.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity-probe based detection assay for detecting an analyte in a sample and in particular to a method that comprises the use of at least one set of at least first and second proximity probes, which probes each comprise an analyte-binding domain and a nucleic acid domain and can simultaneously bind to the analyte directly or indirectly, wherein the nucleic acid domain of at least one of said proximity probes comprises a hairpin structure that can be unfolded by cleavage of the nucleic acid domain to generate at least one ligatable free end or region of complementarity to another nucleic acid molecule in said sample, wherein when the probes bind to said analyte unfolding said hairpin structure allows the nucleic acid domains of said at least first and second proximity probes to interact directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting interactions between or with any two of at least three target substrates, or any two of at least three features of a target substrate, or a combination of interactions and features of target substrates, by a multiplexed proximity ligation assay, said method comprising: a) for each of the at least three target substrates or features, providing a proximity probe comprising a binding moiety with affinity for the feature or binding site on said substrate, and a proximity probe oligonucleotide coupled on the binding moiety; wherein each of the proximity probe oligonucleotide carries a unique tag sequence; b) mixing the proximity probes with a sample, under a condition to allow binding of each proximity probe to its respective binding site or feature on each of said substrates through the binding moiety, c) simultaneous with, or following step b), forming circularized DNA molecules where any two proximity probes bind sufficiently close to each other on the subst

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acid probes for detection of a target nucleic acid molecule by an RCA reaction in the presence of the target nucleic acid molecule, comprising a first circular template strand which is capable of acting as a template for RCA, and which is protected from RCA in the absence of the target nucleic acid molecule by at least a second protector strand which comprises a region of complementarity to the first template strand and is hybridised thereto to form a double-stranded circular structure containing the first template strand inside the protector strand(s), wherein at least one of the second and/or any further protector strands comprises a target binding site, such that upon binding of the probe to the target nucleic acid molecule the probe is able to undergo a strand displacement reaction which allows RCA of the first template strand, and kits containing the same. Methods of detecting target analytes using such probes are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of selecting a target region of interest (ROI) in a target nucleic acid molecule using a nucleic acid probe comprising sequences capable of directing the cleavage of a target nucleic acid molecule to release a fragment comprising the ROI and sequences capable of templating the circularisation and ligation of the target fragment. The circularised molecule thus obtained contains the selected ROI and may be subjected to further analysis and/or amplification etc. Also provided are probes and kits for use in such methods.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for performing a localised RCA reaction comprising at least two rounds of RCA, wherein the product of a second RCA reaction is attached, and hence localised, to a product of a first RCA reaction, said method comprising: (a) providing a first RCA product; (b) directly or indirectly hybridising to said first RCA product a probe which comprises or provides a primer for a second RCA reaction; and (c) performing a second RCA reaction using said RCA primer of (b) to form a second RCA product, wherein in said reaction: (i) said probe and said primer are not able to prime extension using said first RCA product as template or any such extension is limited to avoid displacement of any probe hybridised to the first RCA product; (ii) the direct or indirect hybridisation of the RCA primer of (b) to the first RCA product is maintained and, by virtue of said hybridisation, the second RCA product is attached to the first RCA product; (iii) a RCA template for said second RCA reaction is

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for selecting a target region of interest (ROI) in a target nucleic acid molecule using a nucleic acid probe comprising a 3? sequence capable of hybridising to a target nucleic acid molecule and acting as a primer for the production of a complement of the target ROI (i.e. by target templated extension of the primer), and a sequence capable of templating the circularisation and ligation of the extended probe comprising the reverse complement of the target ROI and a portion of the probe. The circularised molecule thus obtained contains the reverse complement of the target ROI and may be subjected to further analysis and/or amplification etc. The probe may be provided as an oligonucleotide comprising a stem-loop structure or as a partially double-stranded construct and comprises a single-stranded 3? end region containing the target-binding site.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity-probe based detection assay for detecting an analyte in a sample and in particular to a method that comprises the use of at least one set of at least first and second proximity probes, which probes each comprise an analyte-binding domain and a nucleic acid domain and can simultaneously bind to the analyte directly or indirectly, wherein the nucleic acid domain of at least one of said proximity probes comprises a hairpin structure that can be unfolded by cleavage of the nucleic acid domain to generate at least one ligatable free end or region of complementarity to another nucleic acid molecule in said sample, wherein when the probes bind to said analyte unfolding said hairpin structure allows the nucleic acid domains of said at least first and second proximity probes to interact directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity-probe based detection assay for detecting an analyte in a sample and in particular to a method that comprises the use of at least one set of at least first and second proximity probes, which probes each comprise an analyte-binding domain and a nucleic acid domain and can simultaneously bind to the analyte directly or indirectly, wherein the nucleic acid domain of at least one of said proximity probes comprises a hairpin structure that can be unfolded by cleavage of the nucleic acid domain to generate at least one ligatable free end or region of complementarity to another nucleic acid molecule in said sample, wherein when the probes bind to said analyte unfolding said hairpin structure allows the nucleic acid domains of said at least first and second proximity probes to interact directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity-probe based detection assay for detecting an analyte in a sample and in particular to a method that comprises the use of at least one set of at least first and second proximity probes, which probes each comprise an analyte-binding domain and a nucleic acid domain and can simultaneously bind to the analyte directly or indirectly, wherein the nucleic acid domain of at least one of said proximity probes comprises a hairpin structure that can be unfolded by cleavage of the nucleic acid domain to generate at least one ligatable free end or region of complementarity to another nucleic acid molecule in said sample, wherein when the probes bind to said analyte unfolding said hairpin structure allows the nucleic acid domains of said at least first and second proximity probes to interact directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for performing a localised RCA reaction comprising at least two rounds of RCA, wherein the product of a second RCA reaction is attached, and hence localised, to a product of a first RCA reaction, said method comprising: (a) providing a first RCA product; (b) directly or indirectly hybridising to said first RCA product a probe which comprises or provides a primer for a second RCA reaction; and (c) performing a second RCA reaction using said RCA primer of (b) to form a second RCA product, wherein in said reaction: (i) said probe and said primer are not able to prime extension using said first RCA product as template or any such extension is limited to avoid displacement of any probe hybridised to the first RCA product; (ii) the direct or indirect hybridisation of the RCA primer of (b) to the first RCA product is maintained and, by virtue of said hybridisation, the second RCA product is attached to the first RCA product; (iii) a RCA template for said second RCA reaction is

Abstract: The present invention provides a probe for use in detecting a target analyte in a sample, wherein the probe provides or is capable of providing nucleic acid components sufficient to initiate a rolling circle amplification (RCA) reaction, said probe being a nucleic acid construct comprising: (i) one or more target binding domains capable of binding to said target analyte or an intermediate molecule bound, directly or indirectly, to the target analyte; (ii) one or more domains together comprising or capable of providing a circular or circularisable RCA template; (iii) a domain comprising or capable of providing a primer for said RCA reaction that hybridizes to a region of said circular or circularisable RCA template; and, when the probe comprises or is capable of providing a circularisable RCA template, (iv) one or more domains comprising or capable of providing a ligation template that templates the ligation of the circularisable RCA template, wherein at least part of the probe must be cleaved and/or unfolded

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for performing a localised RCA reaction comprising at least two rounds of RCA, wherein the product of a second RCA reaction is attached, and hence localised, to a product of a first RCA reaction, said method comprising: (a) providing a concatemeric first RCA product comprising repeated monomers; (b) directly or indirectly hybridising to monomers of said first RCA product a circularisable oligonucleotide comprising target-complementary 3? and 5? end regions such that the 3? and 5? ends of said oligonucleotide hybridise in juxtaposition for ligation directly or indirectly to each other, wherein the target is a sequence in a monomer of said first RCA product or an intermediate molecule hybridised thereto, and wherein the target-complementary end regions of said circularisable oligonucleotide are 6 to 16 nucleotides in length; (c) directly or indirectly ligating the ends of said circularisable oligonucleotide to circularise the oligonucleotide, thereby to provide a template

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting interactions between or with any two of at least three target substrates, or any two of at least three features of a target substrate, or a combination of interactions and features of target substrates, by a multiplexed proximity ligation assay, said method comprising: a) for each of the at least three target substrates or features, providing a proximity probe comprising a binding moiety with affinity for the feature or binding site on said substrate, and a proximity probe oligonucleotide coupled on the binding moiety; wherein each of the proximity probe oligonucleotide carries a unique tag sequence; b) mixing the proximity probes with a sample, under a condition to allow binding of each proximity probe to its respective binding site or feature on each of said substrates through the binding moiety, c) simultaneous with, or following step b), forming circularized DNA molecules where any two proximity probes bind sufficiently close to each other on the subst

Abstract: The present invention relates to a proximity-probe based detection assay for detecting an analyte in a sample and in particular to a method that comprises the use of at least one set of at least first and second proximity probes, which probes each comprise an analyte-binding domain and a nucleic acid domain and can simultaneously bind to the analyte directly or indirectly, wherein the nucleic acid domain of at least one of said proximity probes comprises a hairpin structure that can be unfolded by cleavage of the nucleic acid domain to generate at least one ligatable free end or region of complementarity to another nucleic acid molecule in said sample, wherein when the probes bind to said analyte unfolding said hairpin structure allows the nucleic acid domains of said at least first and second proximity probes to interact directly or indirectly.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting or enriching for a target deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) present in a nucleic acid sample, said method comprising: (a) fragmenting a nucleic acid sample to generate nucleic acid fragments including a target fragment containing said target DNA and non-specifically ligating an adaptor sequence to an end of said fragments; (b) rendering said fragments at least partially single-stranded; (c) contacting the at least partially single-stranded fragments of step (b) with oligonucleotides A and B of a single target-specific nucleic acid probe; (d) ligating oligonucleotide B of said probe to the part of the single-stranded portion of said target fragment which is hybridised to oligonucleotide A of said probe to produce a probe-target fragment hybrid; and (e) detecting or enriching for said probe-target fragment hybrid.