A system configured to receive a cartridge including a set of fluidic pathways for processing and detecting nucleic acids, each fluidic pathway in the set of fluidic pathways including a set of occlusion positions, wherein the system comprises: • a cartridge platform for receiving and aligning the cartridge, including an access region that provides access to the set of occlusion positions; • a valve actuation subsystem situated inferior to the cartridge platform including: • an actuation substrate including an array of active regions; • a set of pins, each pin in the set of pins including a distal end and a displacement region and operable in: a retracted configuration activated by translation of an active region of the actuation substrate into alignment with the displacement region, and an extended configuration, activated by translation of the active region away from the displacement region, that occludes an occlusion position contacting the distal end, • a spring plate including a set of springs that bias each pin in the set of pins toward the extended configuration, and wherein transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration compresses a spring of the set of springs, wherein the set of springs interacts with base ends of the set of pins in the extended configuration to provide biasing forces against pins of the set of pins, wherein the base end of each pin in the set of pins abuts one spring of the set of springs of the spring plate; and • an actuator coupled to the actuation substrate and configured to provide relative displacement between the array of active regions and the set of pins; and • a linear actuator configured to provide relative displacement between the cartridge platform and the valve actuation subsystem, to facilitate cartridge placement. • a cartridge platform for receiving and aligning the cartridge, including an access region that provides access to the set of occlusion positions; • a valve actuation subsystem situated inferior to the cartridge platform including: • an actuation substrate including an array of active regions; • a set of pins, each pin in the set of pins including a distal end and a displacement region and operable in: a retracted configuration activated by translation of an active region of the actuation substrate into alignment with the displacement region, and an extended configuration, activated by translation of the active region away from the displacement region, that occludes an occlusion position contacting the distal end, • a spring plate including a set of springs that bias each pin in the set of pins toward the extended configuration, and wherein transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration compresses a spring of the set of springs, wherein the set of springs interacts with base ends of the set of pins in the extended configuration to provide biasing forces against pins of the set of pins, wherein the base end of each pin in the set of pins abuts one spring of the set of springs of the spring plate; and • an actuator coupled to the actuation substrate and configured to provide relative displacement between the array of active regions and the set of pins; and • an actuation substrate including an array of active regions; • a set of pins, each pin in the set of pins including a distal end and a displacement region and operable in: a retracted configuration activated by translation of an active region of the actuation substrate into alignment with the displacement region, and an extended configuration, activated by translation of the active region away from the displacement region, that occludes an occlusion position contacting the distal end, • a spring plate including a set of springs that bias each pin in the set of pins toward the extended configuration, and wherein transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration compresses a spring of the set of springs, wherein the set of springs interacts with base ends of the set of pins in the extended configuration to provide biasing forces against pins of the set of pins, wherein the base end of each pin in the set of pins abuts one spring of the set of springs of the spring plate; and • an actuator coupled to the actuation substrate and configured to provide relative displacement between the array of active regions and the set of pins; and • a linear actuator configured to provide relative displacement between the cartridge platform and the valve actuation subsystem, to facilitate cartridge placement.