How to Make a DNA Chip

Microarrays are one of the hottest areas in biological research today. Microarrays have been mostly applied to nucleic acid analysis, specifically to the assessment of which genes are being expressed and at what level. Early microarrays were prepared by using photolithographic methods, which were more commonly used for integrated circuit (“computer chip”) production. Hence the colloquial term “DNA chip” came into being. The completion of the sequencing of the human genome and that of many other organisms makes the determination of gene function an important next step in understanding the role of DNA in the processes of life. DNA microarrays are an excellent tool to address this question because their numerous probe sites enable the analysis of many genes simultaneously. With good experience in this initial use, many further applications of microarrays are being developed, including genotyping in research and genetic diagnosis in medicine. DNA microarrays have made abundantly clear the power of vast parallelism in biological analysis, which is raising interest in other types of microarrays (small‐molecule, protein). Many applications for DNA microarrays have been developed and clearly many more will emerge through the creativity of the scientists who use them. In early studies, users produced their own microarrays. The apparent power of microarrays has demanded improvements in production methods, and technologies from physical sciences and engineering are now being applied to DNA chips. Many branches of chemistry can contribute to improved methods: from synthetic chemistry (to attach or prepare DNA), to the physical chemistry of surfaces, to analytical chemistry (to assess surface reactions). Increasingly important elements of postgenomic biological research are DNA microarrays or DNA chips (see picture). Chemistry has made and should continue to make key contributions to the manufacture and application of these microarrays. This review covers current methods in DNA array production.