Patent ID: 8216514

Claim:
An apparatus for DNA sequencing using chemically-modified dNTPs comprising: (a) at least one reaction chamber comprising a surface, wherein said reaction chamber comprises: i) a primer/template system comprising a template sequence hybridized to a universal primer, wherein said primer/template system is tethered to said surface; ii) an excess of chemically modified dNTPs, wherein said chemically modified dNTPs each comprise: A) a dNTP, b) a fluorescent label, and c) a chemically-cleavable linker between said dNTP and said fluorescent label; and iii) a polymerase mutant, wherein said polymerase mutant is capable of more efficiently incorporating said chemically modified dNTPs into said primer-template system than the corresponding wild-type enzyme; (b) a component for introducing into, and evacuating from, said reaction chamber at least one reagent selected from the group consisting of: buffers, electrolytes, DNA template, DNA primer, deoxyribonucleotides, and polymerase enzymes; (c) a component for illuminating said chemically modified dNTPs with optical radiation at a wavelength absorbed by said fluorescent label, and (d) a device capable of sensing fluorescence from said chemically modified dNTPs.