This invention provides for labeling reagents, labeled targets and processes
for preparing labeling reagents. The labeling reagents can take the form of cyanine
dyes, xanthene dyes, porphyrin dyes, coumarin dyes or composite dyes. These labeling
reagents are useful for labeling probes or targets, including nucleic acids and
proteins. These reagents can be usefully applied to protein and nucleic acid probe
based assays. They are also applicable to real-time detection processes.