Probe Design, Production, and Applications

A probe is a nucleic acid molecule (single-stranded DNA or RNA) with a strong affinity with a specific target (DNA or RNA sequence). Probe and target base sequences must be complementary to each other, but depending on conditions, they do not necessarily have to be exactly complementary. The hybrid (probe-target combination) can be revealed when appropriate labeling and detection systems are used. Gene probes are used in various blotting and in situ techniques for the detection of nucleic acid sequences. In medicine, they can help in the identification of microorganisms and the diagnosis of infectious, inherited, and other diseases.