MICROARRAY

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT

1. A Microarray is a high throughput technology used in Molecular Biology and Medicine.

2. The word Microarray has been derived from the Greek word Mikro (small) & the French word
Arrayer (arranged).

3. Therefore, it is an orderly arrangement of thousands of oligonucleotides or identified

sequence of genes printed on an impermeable solid support usually Glass; Silicon or Nylon
membrane.

4. A number of terms such as DNA Arrays; Gene Chips & Biochips are used to describe these
devices

5. These Microarrays act as fundamental tool for understanding the genome.

6. The DNA Microarray field is a combination of several technologies; including Automated DNA
Sequencing; DNA Amplification by PCR; Oligonucleotide synthesis; Nucleic acid labeling
chemistries & Bioinformatics.

7. These Microarrays allow for highly parallel processing of Biological Analysis i.e. they allow
for parallel analysis of RNA; DNA; Proteins; Cells; Tissues & Small Molecules.

8. Therefore, Microarrays are a significant advance both because they may contain a very
large number of Genes & because of their small size.
PRODUCTION OF MICROARRAY
THE PRODUCTION MICROARRAY IS DONE BY
TWO METHODS:

•SPOTTING

•PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY
PRODUCTION OF MICROARRY BY
PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY:
 TYPES OF MICROARRAYS:
DNA Microarrays:
Microarrays
DNA Microarrays are far and away the most common types of Microarrays.
These can be used to analyze either DNA (Mutation analysis) or RNA (Gene
expression).
DNA Arrays may be made from c DNA’s or oligonucleotides.

PROTEIN ARRAYS:
ARRAYS

There are two primary types of protein arrays:

Antibody arrays: (are protein analogue of DNA Microarrays which are used to
determine relative abundances of expressed proteins in a sample)
Functional protein arrays: (are used to test proteins for a variety of activities.
examples are Kinase assays ; Ligand Binding assays)
The two main challenges are:
getting enough material to spot down
Keeping the proteins in a functional state.
•CELL ARRAYS:
ARRAYS
The Arrays do not actually involve printing of cell onto the substrate;
rather some material such as DNA is printed onto the slide.
Cells are grown onto the slide & at each of the discrete locations that
the material was spotted, the cells take up that material.
 The effect on the cells can then be monitored.
 In the case of DNA, a reporter gene can be added to monitor transfection
efficiency.
•TISSUES ARRAYS:
Tissue arrays allow for high throughput pathology.
Dozens to hundreds of tissue samples are arrayed onto slides to allow for
high throughput staining.
A pathologist is required to analyze each sample.

•SMALL MOLECULAR ARRAYS

Small molecules can also be arrayed.
The small molecules can be probed with a protein of interest to look for
potential drug candidates.
This is generally most useful when a particular drug target has already
been identified.
DNA chips can be used to map the differences between individuals. Suppose
if we select any two people in the world, their DNA would be 99.9 % identical.
The remaining 0.1 % is the basis for all of humanities, differences from
different eye or face shapes to different skin colors to the way different
people respond to medical treatment. These tiny differences in DNA
sequence are called SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISMS or SNP’s.
Identifying them would help us to develop treatments, customize for
individual people and illness and identify people prone to illness such as
some forms of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease before they become
ill.
•DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

It helps researchers to learn more about different diseases such as heart
diseases, mental illness, infectious diseases and especially and study of
cancers.
Until recently different types of cancers have been classified on the basis of
organs in which they are developed.
Now with the evolution of microarray technology it will be further possible
to classify the types of cancers on the basis of patternsof gene activity in the
tumour cells.
This will tremendously help pharmaceutical community who develop more
effective drugs as the treatment strategies will be targeted directly to the
specific type of cancers.
LIMITATIONS OF MICROARRAYS
Might not show full complexity.

Non stringent binding.

May show false signals.

THANKS