A method for optically detecting mutations in a sequence of DNA is disclosed. The method includes generating an optically coded input sequence by optically coding an input sequence, generating an optically coded reference sequence by optically coding a reference sequence, generating an aligned sequence by overlapping the optically coded input sequence with the optically coded reference sequence, and determining a mutation in the input sequence with respect to the reference sequence. The input sequence includes an input arrangement of a plurality of elements. Each of the plurality of elements includes an element value of a plurality of element values. The reference sequence includes a reference arrangement of the plurality of elements. Each element of the aligned sequence includes one of a low-value element or a high-value element. The mutation is determined responsive to detecting the low-value element in the aligned sequence.