Methods and products for analyzing polymers

1. A method comprising:

providing a nucleic acid, labeled with a unit specific marker, and

detecting, while the nucleic acid is moved relative to electromagnetic radiation by a tethered polymerase, at least one FRET-independent fluorescent signal emitted from the unit specific marker.

2. A method for detecting a unit specific marker bound to a nucleic acid comprising

moving a nucleic acid relative to electromagnetic radiation using a tethered polymerase,

exposing a fluorescently labeled unit specific marker bound to the nucleic acid to electromagnetic radiation, and

detecting an electromagnetic radiation signal from the fluorescently labeled unit specific marker in the absence of fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is transported through a waveguide.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is transported through a waveguide.

5. The method of claim 1 , further including storing signatures of signals.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is transported through a waveguide.