Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparation of a substrate containing a plurality of sequences. Photoremovable groups are attached to a surface of a substrate. Selected regions of the substrate are exposed to light so as to activate the selected areas. A monomer, also containing a photoremovable group, is provided to the substrate to bind at the selected areas. The process is repeated using a variety of monomers such as amino acids until sequences of a desired length are obtained. Detection methods and apparatus are also disclosed.

Abstract: A synthetic strategy for the creation of large scale chemical diversity. Solid-phase chemistry, photolabile protecting groups, and photolithography are used to achieve light-directed spatially-addressable parallel chemical synthesis. Binary masking techniques are utilized in one embodiment. A reactor system, photoremovable protective groups, and improved data collection and handling techniques are also disclosed. A technique for screening linker molecules is also provided.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods of shuffling polynucleotide variants. The methods entail conducting a multi-cyclic polynucleotide extension process on partially annealed polynucleotide strands having sequences from the plurality of chosen polynucleotide variants, the polynucleotide strands having regions of similarity and regions of heterology with each other and being partially annealed through the regions of similarity, under conditions whereby one strand serves as a template for extension of another strand with which it is partially annealed to generate a population of shuffled polynucleotides. Shuffled polynucleotides are then selected or screened to identify a shuffled polynucleotide having a desired functional property.