DNA microarrays: is there a role for analytical chemistry?

Abstract

DNA microarrays, or “DNA chips”, represent a relatively new technology that is having a profound impact on biology and medicine, yet analytical research into this area is somewhat sparse. This article presents an overview of DNA microarrays and their application to gene expression analysis from the perspective of analytical chemistry, treating aspects of array platforms, measurement, image analysis, experimental design, normalization, and data analysis. Typical approaches are described and unresolved issues are discussed, with a view to identifying some of the contributions that might be made by analytical chemists.