A collection of solid supports comprising single-stranded nucleic acid species, (a) wherein the solid supports are beads or particles, (b) wherein each solid support in the collection comprises more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species covalently linked to the solid support, wherein each single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to a common solid support comprises an identifier sequence and a probe sequence, (c) wherein all the single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the common solid support share a common identifier sequence, and wherein the identifier sequence from the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the common solid support in the collection is different from the identifier sequences of the single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the other solid supports in the collection, whereby each solid support in the collection is associated with a unique identifier sequence each differing from all other identifier sequences by one or more nucleotides, when the identifier sequences are aligned with one another and wherein only one unique identification sequence species per solid support species is present, (d) wherein the probe sequence of each of the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the solid support allows the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid to hybridize to a subsequence in a sample nucleic acid, and (e) wherein the probe sequences of the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species on each solid support comprise at least 10 different probe sequence species, wherein each probe sequence species differs from all other probe sequence species by one or more nucleotides, when the probe sequence species are aligned with one another. (a) wherein the solid supports are beads or particles, (b) wherein each solid support in the collection comprises more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species covalently linked to the solid support, wherein each single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to a common solid support comprises an identifier sequence and a probe sequence, (c) wherein all the single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the common solid support share a common identifier sequence, and wherein the identifier sequence from the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the common solid support in the collection is different from the identifier sequences of the single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the other solid supports in the collection, whereby each solid support in the collection is associated with a unique identifier sequence each differing from all other identifier sequences by one or more nucleotides, when the identifier sequences are aligned with one another and wherein only one unique identification sequence species per solid support species is present, (d) wherein the probe sequence of each of the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species linked to the solid support allows the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid to hybridize to a subsequence in a sample nucleic acid, and (e) wherein the probe sequences of the more than one single-stranded nucleic acid species on each solid support comprise at least 10 different probe sequence species, wherein each probe sequence species differs from all other probe sequence species by one or more nucleotides, when the probe sequence species are aligned with one another.