A method and device is disclosed for high speed,
automated sequencing of
nucleic acid molecules. A
nucleic acid molecule to be sequenced is exposed to a
polymerase in the presence of nucleotides which are to be incorporated into a complementary
nucleic acid strand. The
polymerase carries a donor
fluorophore, and each type of
nucleotide (e.g. A, T / U, C and G) carries a distinguishable
acceptor fluorophore characteristic of the particular type of
nucleotide. As the
polymerase incorporates individual nucleic acid molecules into a complementary strand, a
laser continuously irradiates the donor
fluorophore, at a
wavelength that causes it to emit an emission
signal (but the
laser wavelength does not stimulate the
acceptor fluorophore). In particular embodiments, no
laser is needed if the donor fluorophore is a luminescent molecule or is stimulated by one. The emission
signal from the polymerase is capable of stimulating any of the donor fluorophores (but not
acceptor fluorophores), so that as a
nucleotide is added by the polymerase, the acceptor fluorophore emits a
signal associated with the type of nucleotide added to the complementary strand. The series of emission signals from the acceptor fluorophores is detected, and correlated with a sequence of nucleotides that correspond to the sequence of emission signals.