The objective of this project is to develop novel technologies that validate sequencing data at high sensitivity thus allowing detection of rare abundance genes. Genes with lower expression levels often are those that regulate other pathways as transcription factors and/or encode critical key enzymes. Thus the use of photonic crystal arrays should allow both sensitivity and multiplexing hundreds of thousands of genes to be examined at the same time including those involved in plant traits of agronomic importance as seed composition and disease resistance.