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DNA chip technology, or biochips, in continuous progress, has generated tremendous interest
among the scientific community. It is now possible to simultaneously
measure the level of expression of several thousands of genes,
or even of the entire genome, under dozens of different conditions,
whether physiological or pathological. This technological breakthrough
will make possible crucial advances in understanding
the function of genes, in testing new molecules and in identifying
drugs and diagnostic tools.
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DNA Chip Concept
The principle is the same as the one found in
standard methodologies, but through miniaturization, it is possible to process a substantial number of samples and facilitates
automation.
See also : "DNA
Chip Concept"
A robot deposits thousands of DNA fragments
in a geometric manner on a solid base (small glass slide or nylon
membrane) in the form of microscopic spots or "chips".
Each fragment acts as a probe which binds the complementary of DNA
strands (targets) present in the biological samples to be tested:
the mix makes it possible to rebuild the double DNA helix ("hybridization").
The sample is marked in advance using fluorescent or radioactive
tracers. The analysis is done visually under fluorescent lighting
or by detecting the radioactivity. The signals obtained can then
be quantified and the gene strands detected using Bioinformatics
tools.
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