High Throughput Arrays and Multiple Analyses

Arrays are usually classified by their sample spot sizes with 200-micrometer diameter as the traditional cutoff between macroarrays and microarrays. Microarrays contain thousands of spots. As the sample spot size further decreases in size, more spots can fit onto a substrate. This reduces the area and corresponding time that needs to be sampled. With continued miniaturization beyond micro, the possibility exists to greatly increase the number of spots on a single chip, with the ultimate objective of including the entire genome. At the same time, quicker analyses are being made possible by performing multiple analyses in parallel rather than in series to generate more information in less time.

By using nanomaterials as sensing particles, chips could be reduced in size. This would allow scientists to read thousands of molecules with the possibility of using cheaper equipment.

Smaller, portable, cheaper and more precise integrated diagnostic kits for diseases such as systemic lupus or other multi-marker diseases may be made possible by using microfluidic and nanofluidic technologies. DNA arrays typically perform one type of analysis thousands of times. In the event that other experiments or processes are also required, micro and nanofluidic devices such as lab-on-a-chip, can integrate mixing, moving, incubation, separation, detection and data processing in a small portable device. At the micro and nanoscale, fluids move through pipes in laminar flow, as opposed to turbulent flow at the macro level. This provides the opportunity for microfluidic devices to exploit certain physical behaviors. For example, two liquids can separately circulate through micro pipelines and valves without mixing each other.

The combination of arrays and fluidic capabilities can greatly increase the speed and accuracy of various genetic testing. Within the drug discovery and diagnostic fields, microfluidic devices in the form of nanoarrays or “lab on a chip” technologies could allow the production of more efficient and disposable DNA and protein sequencers for drug discovery and diagnostic kits.