Biochips and Lab-on-a-Chip Devices: chips with everyone

摘要

With their ability to analyze large amounts of information in small volumes, microarrays and microfluidic devices exert a growing influence on studies of genotyping, gene expression, and protein interactions. Much of the recent improvement in the technologies stems from collaborations between vendors and among vendors and their customers. Microarrays and microfluidic devices provide miniature laboratories for studies of genomics and proteomics. Researchers typically apply microarrays to genotyping, mutation screening, gene expression, and protein-interaction studies. And they use microfluidic devices for processing or testing thousands of samples under nearly identical conditions in an automated environment. The key to the effectiveness of both devices is high density. In recent years, steady advances in technology have produced smaller, denser devices.