| abstract |
The method and apparatus 100 of the present invention relates to determining the sequence of nucleic acid 214 by incorporation of nucleotide 218 into nucleic acid strand 220. Nucleotide 218 incorporation is determined by changes in the mass and / or surface stress of the structures 116,212. In some embodiments of the present invention, the structures 116, 212 include one or more nanoscale or microscale cantilevers. In certain embodiments of the invention, each different type of nucleotide 218 is distinctly labeled with a large group, and each incorporated nucleotide 218 has a mass of structures 116, 212 when nucleotide 218 is incorporated and Confirmed by changes in surface stress. The change in the characteristics of the structures 116 and 212 can be detected by various methods such as piezoelectricity detection, shift of the resonance frequency of the structures 116 and 212, and / or position sensitive light detection. |