Patent ID: RE43097

Claim:
A method of determining a nucleotide sequence at an end of a polynucleotide, the method comprising the steps of: ligating one or more encoded adaptors to the ends of identical copies of the polynucleotide, each encoded adaptor being a double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid comprising an oligonucleotide tag selected from a minimally cross-hybridizing set of oligonucleotides between 8 and 20 nucleotides or basepairs in length and a protruding strand complementary to a portion of a strand of the polynucleotide, wherein each oligonucleotide of the minimally cross-hybridizing set differs from every other oligonucleotide of the set by at least two nucleotides; and identifying one or more nucleotides in each of said portions of the strand of the polynucleotides by specifically hybridizing a tag complement to each oligonucleotide tag of the one or more encoded adaptors ligated thereto.