Comparing oligonucleotide performance one base at a time

摘要

DNA microarrays have become the revolutionary tool for large-scale parallel analyses of genome sequence and gene expression. Instead of studying individual genes, the expression of thousands of genes can be analysed simultaneously using probes attached to the surface of microscope slides. This article describes experiments designed to compare the performance of oligonucleotide probes of two different lengths (25-mers or 60-mers). With its 30,000 to 40,000 genes, the sequence of the human genome provides an unprecedented biological resource that will continue to serve as a basis for drug discovery exploration as well as for countless other practical applications. In order to study effectively the thousands of genes contained in the human genome and other genomes, the use of DNA microarray technology is essential.