Techniques for single molecule sequencing

A method is described that demonstrates a new technique for rapid and high-throughput single molecule sequencing. This sequencing technique is based on the successive enzymatic degradation of fluorescently labeled single DNA molecules, and the detection and identification of the released monomer molecules according to their sequential order in a microstructured channel.

The detection technique is evolved from confocal fluorescence microscopy, with two different laser sources to excite the individual mononucleotides that are either labeled with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) or Cyanine5 (Cy5). The handling of DNA which is immobilized on carrier beads, and the detection of the cleaved monomers is performed in optically transparent and biochemically inert microstructures (glass or PMMA) with detection channels of 7 μ × 10 μm.

The projected rate of sequencing is ≈100 bases min⁻¹, dependent solely on the rate of the enzymatic DNA cleavage.