An introduction to DNA chips: principles, technology, applications and analysis

This review describes the recently developed GeneChip technology that provides ef­ficient access to genetic information using miniaturised, high-density arrays of DNA or oligonucleotide probes. Such microarrays are powerful tools to study the molecular basis of interactions on a scale that would be impossible using conventional analysis. The recent development of the microarray technology has greatly accelerated the in­vestigation of gene regulation. Arrays are mostly used to identify which genes are turned on or off in a cell or tissue, and also to evaluate the extent of a gene's expres­sion under various conditions. Indeed, this technology has been successfully applied to investigate simultaneous expression of many thousands of genes and to the detec­tion of mutations or polymorphisms, as well as for their mapping and sequencing.