Patent ID: 6982029

Claim:
A method for performing electrophoresis comprising: providing a plurality of sample fragments collectively having a first range of sizes, each of the sample fragments being tagged with a dye selected from a first group of dyes, a fluorescence spectrum of the dye of each sample fragment being indicative of a property of that sample fragment; providing a plurality of reference fragments collectively having a second range of sizes which does not overlap with the first range of sizes, each reference fragment being tagged with a dye selected from the first group of dyes, reference fragments of substantially similar size being tagged with a common dye; combining the sample fragments and the reference fragments into a common volume; causing the sample fragments and the reference fragments within the common volume to separate along a common separation lane such that the sample fragments and the reference fragments are separated from one another in at least one of time and space; optically detecting a fluorescence spectrum comprising a respective fluorescence intensity at each of a plurality of wavelengths from each of the separated sample and reference fragments; determining first color calibration information based upon the fluorescence spectra of the reference fragments; and determining at least one property of the sample fragments based upon the first color calibration information and the fluorescence spectra of the sample fragments.