AUTOMATED SYNTHESIS OR SEQUENCING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING AND USING SAME

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a continuous substrate including zones formed therein and/or thereon, each zone including one binding agent or a sparsely distributed plurality of binding agents;

a component introduction stations adapted to introduce one or a plurality of components onto and/or into one or a plurality of zones of the substrate, where one or more of the components are adapted to interact or bond to the binding agents to form one or a sparsely distributed immobilized active sites, where the binding agents, one or more of the components and/or the substrate include at least one detectable agents, each agent having a detectable property and where each agent or property are the same or different;

a detection station adapted to detect reaction and/or interaction events occurring at the distinct and detectable active sites within a viewing field associated with each zone over a desired period of time, where the detection station includes a detector adapted to produce output signals corresponding to the detected events;

an analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the detection station and to convert the signals into output data characterizing the detected events occurring within each field over the period of time;

a means for moving the substrate to bring a new zone or plurality of zones to the introduction stations and the detections stations until a desired length of substrate has been processed.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zone comprises cavities, channels or other confinement volumes.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the viewing field comprises the entire zone or a portion thereof.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zones further include binding agents complexed to, non-covalently bonded to or covalently bonded to a surface of the zone or complexed to, non-covalently bonded to or covalently bonded to a matrix disposed in the zone, where the binding agents are adapted to immobilize a component of the reactive sites.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detectable agents produce detectable signals evidencing one or a series of reactions and/or interactions occurring at the reactive sites.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sites comprise atomic systems, molecules, molecular complexes or molecular assemblages, where the detectable agents are associated with one or more of the components of the reactive sites or the zone.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector is capable of detecting the detectable properties of all of the detectable agents.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the active sites are sequencing sites comprising a polymerizing agent, a primer/template duplex and dNTPs for the polymerizing agent.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the each dNTPs includes a detectable agent comprising a fluorescent dye of a different color and the detector is capable of detecting all four dNTP colors and optionally a donor color simultaneously.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the detector includes a single detector or a plurality of detectors, where the plurality is between 2 and 5.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the detectors are digital imaging devices.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the detectors are CCD cameras.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the primer is immobilized in or on the zone or in or on a matrix disposed on the zone.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the template is immobilized in or on the zone or in or on a matrix disposed on the zone.

15 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the polymerizing agent is immobilized in or on the zone or in or on a matrix disposed on the zone.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a mapping station to locate or map distinct and detectable pre-active sites inside the zones relative to a detection grid superimposed on the zones; and

an initiation station adapted to introduce one or a plurality of initiation reagents onto and/or into the zones.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a film.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the film is selected from the group consisting of polymeric, ceramic or metallic with zones being transparent to the wavelength of light used for excitation and/or detection.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a rigid linear substrate on which the zones are formed.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a rigid substrate including recessed areas in which the zones are formed or disposed.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a disk, with the zones either spiraling out from its center or in the form of concentric rings.

22 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising stations disposed on armatures that permit the stations to move linearly outward as the disk is rotated much as an out phonograph operated or inward.

23 . The apparatus of claim 1 , the detection station is operate in a TIRF mode, a ZMW detection mode or other time of detection modes that require specialized substrate and zones formed within the substrate.

24 . An apparatus comprising:

a continuous substrate including zones formed therein and/or thereon, each zone including one binding agent or a sparsely distributed plurality of binding agents;

a component introduction stations adapted to introduce one or a plurality of components onto and/or into one or a plurality of zones of the substrate, where one or more of the components are adapted to interact or bond to the binding agents to form one or a sparsely distributed immobilized active sites, where the binding agents, one or more of the components and/or the substrate include at least one detectable agents, each agent having a detectable property and where each agent or property are the same or different;

a mapping station to locate or map distinct and detectable pre-active sites inside the zones relative to a detection grid superimposed on the zones;

an initiation station adapted to introduce one or a plurality of initiation reagents onto and/or into the zones;

a detection station adapted to detect reaction and/or interaction events occurring at the distinct and detectable active sites within a viewing field associated with each zone over a desired period of time, where the detection station includes a detector adapted to produce output signals corresponding to the detected events; and

an analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the detection station and to convert the signals into output data characterizing the detected events occurring within each field over the period of time;

a means for moving the substrate to bring a new zone or plurality of zones to the introduction stations and the detections stations until a desired length of substrate has been processed.

25 . A method for analyzing one reaction site, a small ensemble of reaction sites, a medium ensemble of reaction sites and a large ensemble of reaction sites comprising the step of:

providing a continuous substrate including a zone, where the zone includes one or a plurality of sparsely distributed binding sites;

passing the continuous substrate through one or a plurality of component introduction stations adapted to introduction the components required to immobilize and produce active sites in the zones, each site including at least one detectable agent having a detectable property, where the agents and the properties are the same or different;

passing the continuous substrate including active sites through a detection system, where reactions and/or interactions occurring at the sites within a viewing field are detected in a detector of the detection system to produce detected event signals, and

analyzing the detected event signals to convert the signals into data about the detected events.

26 . A method for analyzing one reaction site, a small ensemble of reaction sites, a medium ensemble of reaction sites and a large ensemble of reaction sites comprising the step of:

providing a continuous substrate including a zone, where the zone includes one or a plurality of sparsely distributed binding sites;

passing the continuous substrate through one or a plurality of component introduction stations adapted to introduce components required to immobilize and produce pre-active sites in the zones, each site including at least one detectable agent having a detectable property, where the agents and the properties are the same or different;

passing the continuous substrate including the pre-active sites through a mapping station, where the pre-active sites are mapped relative to a grid associated with a viewing field of the mapping detector,

passing the continuous substrate including the pre-active sites through an initiation station, where one or a plurality of initiators are introduced into or onto the zones to convert some or all of the pre-active sites into active sites within the zones;

passing the continuous substrate including the active sites through a detection system, where reactions and/or interactions occurring at the sites within a viewing field are detected in a detector of the detection system to produce detected event signals, and

analyzing the mapped and detected event signals to convert the signals into data about the detected events.