Patent ID: 7052847

Claim:
A method of sequencing a target nucleic acid molecule comprising: (a) providing a mixture comprising the target nucleic acid molecule, a primer complementary to the target nucleic acid molecule, a nucleic acid polymerizing enzyme, and a plurality of types of nucleotides or nucleotide analogs to be incorporated into a growing nucleic acid strand at an active site complementary to the target nucleic acid, wherein the target nucleic acid molecule and/or the nucleic acid polymerization enzyme is attached to a support; (b) subjecting the mixture of step (a) to a polymerization reaction under conditions suitable for formation of the growing nucleic acid strand by template-directed extension of primer; and (c) optically identifying a time sequence of incorporation of nucleotides or nucleotide analogs into the growing nucleic acid strand at the active site while the template-directed extension of primer is taking place, and thereby determining the sequence of said target nucleic acid.