The invention provides a novel class of cyanine dyes that are functionalized with sulfonic acid groups and {HEAD ~ a linker moiety} that facilitates their conjugation to other species and {TAIL ~ substituent groups} which increase the water solubility, and optimize the optical properties of the dyes 
The invention provides a novel class of cyanine dyes that are functionalized with sulfonic acid groups and { HEAD ~ a linker moiety } that facilitates their conjugation to other species and { TAIL ~ substituent groups } which increase the water solubility , and optimize the optical properties of the dyes
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