Methods of analyte detection

1. A method for detecting a plurality of analytes in a biological sample, wherein each distinct target analyte of N distinct target analytes is immobilized on a solid substrate in a location that is spatially separate from any other distinct target analyte of said N distinct target analytes, the method comprising:

selecting sets of fluorescently tagged probes comprising X distinct colors, wherein each of said probes is detectably labelled such that one probe is configured to detect one distinct target analyte;

performing at least M cycles of single molecule detection, each cycle comprising one or more passes;

wherein each pass comprises selective binding between said probes and said N distinct target analytes and signal detection;

wherein each cycle further comprises stripping of said probes from said substrate;

detecting from each of said at least M cycles a presence or an absence of a plurality of signals from said spatially separate locations of said substrate; and

determining from said plurality of signals information about a presence or absence of one or more of said X colors for each of said N distinct target analytes in each of said passes of said cycle;

and encoding said information into at least K bits of information using an error correcting code, combining said K bits of information into L=K×M bits of total information so that L bits of information describe a presence or absence of one or more of said N distinct target analytes;

wherein K, M and X are chosen so that XM>N, L>log 2 (N); and

wherein said M cycles comprise one or more additional cycles to account for errors in said detected signals by generating additional bits of information compared to the minimum number of bits of information required to identify said N distinct analytes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a detectable signal is generated through binding of a single probe to said one distinct target analyte.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein L>log 2 (N), and wherein L comprises bits of information for target identification.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising digitizing said plurality of signals to expand a dynamic range of detection of said plurality of signals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least K bits of information comprise information about an absence of a signal for one of said N distinct target analytes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said probes comprise an aptamer.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said aptamer comprises a homopolymeric base region.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of analytes comprises a protein, a peptide aptamer, or a nucleic acid molecule, or

wherein said detecting from said at least M cycles said presence or absence of said plurality of signals comprises optically detecting said plurality of signals, or

wherein said detecting from said at least M cycles said presence or absence of said plurality of signals comprises electrically detecting said plurality of signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said additional bits of information generated to account for errors are parity bits.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said error correction code comprises using a Reed-Solomon code.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said N distinct target analytes are present in a sample, and wherein said sample is divided into a plurality of aliquots that are diluted to a plurality of distinct final dilutions, each of said plurality of aliquots being immobilized onto a distinct section of said substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a concentration of one of said N distinct target analytes is determined by counting the occurrences of a target analyte within one of said distinct sections and adjusting a count according to said dilution of said respective aliquot.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said probes comprise an antibody.