As the world turns PRINT

As the world slowy turns into a whole machine print edition
---------------------------------------------------------

Technology has been moving very rapidly in this field and will in all likelihood continue to do so in the near future. Whatever the kind of chip, four steps are essential for the development of this technology: the fabrication of the microarrays itself, the hybridization process, the reading of the arrays, and the analysis of the data. In the case of oligonucleotide technology, the production of the chips and the instrumentation necessary for their utilization. The involvement of the user in the design of oligonucleotide chips is increasing. However, the implementation of oligochips implies acquiring simultaneously all the devices specifically designed by the producer necessary for using oligonucleotide chips. On the contrary, different approaches and alternatives can be taken for the development of cDNA microarray technology, depending on the support material were the DNA probes are going to be printed, and the type of labeling to be performed on the target DNA sample. Irrespective of the labeling, it is necessary to use a microarrayer, an optimized hybridization protocol, a radioactivity or fluorescence reader and appropriate software in order to deal with the considerable amount of data generated by the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes. Microarrayers, scanners or fluorescence or radioactivity detectors, and software can be designed and homemade by the user or purchased to specific companies. The hybridization protocol should be optimized in each laboratory, although different commercial kits facilitate reagents and critical steps in the procedure of making and reading microarrays


Available for print.