A DNA sample processing apparatus comprising: a reference carrier region; a reference carrier supported by the reference carrier region and including at least one reference substance that emits radiation with unique and known spectral characteristics in response to being irradiated with radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest; a carrier receiving region configured to alternatively receive a sample carrier carrying at least one DNA sample and the reference carrier including at least one reference substance for processing, the sample carrier including one or more micro-channels for carrying and moving one or more different samples through multiple different processing regions thereof; at least one processing station (112 1,..., 112 N) for processing said at least one reference substance on the reference carrier and said at least one DNA sample on the sample carrier when respective ones of the reference carrier and sample carrier are loaded in the carrier receiving region, wherein the at least one processing station (112 1,..., 112 N) is configured to carry out at least the following on samples carried by the sample carrier when the sample carrier is loaded in the carrier receiving region: extraction/purification of DNA from the sample, replication/amplification and labeling of the fragments, and separation of the fragments; and an optical component (114, 116, 118) for emitting radiation of a wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range of interest for irradiating one of the sample carrier and the reference carrier when in the carrier receiving region and for detecting the radiation emitted from fluorescent labels in said at least one DNA sample of the sample carrier and said at least one reference substance of the reference carrier; wherein the apparatus further comprises means for moving the reference carrier from the reference carrier region to the carrier receiving region for processing of said at least one reference substance for calibration of the optical component (114, 116, 118). a reference carrier region; a reference carrier supported by the reference carrier region and including at least one reference substance that emits radiation with unique and known spectral characteristics in response to being irradiated with radiation having a wavelength in a predetermined range of interest; a carrier receiving region configured to alternatively receive a sample carrier carrying at least one DNA sample and the reference carrier including at least one reference substance for processing, the sample carrier including one or more micro-channels for carrying and moving one or more different samples through multiple different processing regions thereof; at least one processing station (112 1,..., 112 N) for processing said at least one reference substance on the reference carrier and said at least one DNA sample on the sample carrier when respective ones of the reference carrier and sample carrier are loaded in the carrier receiving region, wherein the at least one processing station (112 1,..., 112 N) is configured to carry out at least the following on samples carried by the sample carrier when the sample carrier is loaded in the carrier receiving region: extraction/purification of DNA from the sample, replication/amplification and labeling of the fragments, and separation of the fragments; and an optical component (114, 116, 118) for emitting radiation of a wavelength in a predetermined wavelength range of interest for irradiating one of the sample carrier and the reference carrier when in the carrier receiving region and for detecting the radiation emitted from fluorescent labels in said at least one DNA sample of the sample carrier and said at least one reference substance of the reference carrier; wherein the apparatus further comprises means for moving the reference carrier from the reference carrier region to the carrier receiving region for processing of said at least one reference substance for calibration of the optical component (114, 116, 118).