Patent ID: 7211384

Claim:
A method for comparing the copy number of at least one nucleic acid sequence in at least two genomic sources, said method comprising: (a) preparing at least a first genomic template from a first genomic source and a second genomic template from a second genomic source, wherein each of said first and second templates are prepared by amplifying each of said first and second genomic sources in an amplification reaction wit a highly processive polymerase that produces amplification products having an average molecular size of at least about 10 kb with substantially no amplification bias; (b) preparing at least a first collection of nucleic acid probe molecules from said first template and a second collection of nucleic acid probe molecules from said second template; (c) contacting said first and second collections of nucleic acid probe molecules with one or more pluralites of oligonucleotide target elements bound to a surface of a solid support, each target element comprising a target nucleic acid; and (d) evaluating the binding of the first and second collections of nucleic acid probe molecules to the same target nucleic acid to compare the copy number of at least one nucleic acid sequence in said at least two genomic sources.