Apparatus and methods for optical illumination and/or detection with improved
flexibility and/or read speed. The apparatus and methods may include mechanisms
for selecting and switching between multiple excitation wavelengths and/or simultaneously
reading from a plurality of sample sites. The apparatus and methods may be used
with microplates, PCR plates, cell culture plates, biochips, chromatography plates,
microscope slides, and other substrates for high-throughput screening, genomics,
SNPs analysis, pharmaceutical research and development, life sciences research,
and other applications.