1. An apparatus for automated liquid delivery to and precise temperature control of samples immobilized on a surface of a carrier device for the detection of genetic material comprising: (a) a reaction chamber for situating the samples, said samples individually immobilized in a thin, flat carrier device in said apparatus during treatments; said carrier device comprising a top piece and a bottom piece, said bottom piece having a specimen holding area, said top piece having a closed position; said top piece and said bottom piece hinged together along a first side of said bottom piece, said top piece having a first area that extends beyond said first side, wherein the top piece may be caused to hingedly move away from the bottom piece and upward from the closed position to an open position; and said bottom piece having an overlap area on a second side of said bottom piece, said overlap area extending beyond said top piece, said overlap area having a fluid receiving area; said reaction chamber containing a tray rack for holding a plurality of carrier devices; (b) reservoirs for treatment liquids; (c) treatment liquid transfer lines, said reservoirs connected to the reaction chamber by means of said treatment liquid transfer lines; (d) means to control the timing and volume of treatment liquids delivered to samples through liquid transfer lines; said carriers situated in said tray rack in a generally horizontal position so that liquids are dispensed sequentially into an end of each carrier and flow over said immobilized sample and the liquids exit the carrier at the end of the carrier opposite the end of the carrier where liquids are dispensed; (e) a pump to cause the treatment liquids to move through the treatment liquid transfer lines to the samples in the reaction chamber, (f) means to regulate and rapidly change temperature of the samples in said flat carrier devices in the reaction chamber; and (g) means to contain used treatment liquids away from the samples; wherein liquid delivery and precise temperature control are controlled by a programmable central microprocessor.