Method for detecting and classifying nucleic acid hybridization

A method for detecting complementary and mismatch nucleic acid hybridization complexes, comprising:

• (1) acquiring a spectrum for a hybridization complex formed between (a) a nucleic acid probe that is electromagnetically coupled to a portion of a signal path, wherein one or more said signal path and one or more said probe are present in an apparatus in which said method is carried out, each signal path having a corresponding nucleic acid probe, and wherein a plurality of probes and signal paths, if plurality is present, are optionally arranged as elements of an array and
• (2) a nucleic acid target in a sample, by propagating a test signal along said signal path and detecting a response signal for the hybridization complex formed between the probe and target, wherein said propagating step comprises varying said test signal with time;
• and
• (b) examining said spectrum for the presence of a known signal which is characteristic for a hybridization complex between said probe and a particular target, the known signal being a complementary signal or a mismatch signal, presence of the complementary signal being indicative of a complementary hybridization complex between the probe and the target and presence of the mismatch signal being indicative of a mismatch complex between the probe and the target.