A DNA microarray, also known as a gene chip or DNA chip, is a powerful tool used in molecular biology and genetics for the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes. It consists of a small solid surface—typically a glass slide or a silicon chip—that has been populated with numerous DNA probes. Each probe is a short, single-stranded nucleic acid that is complementary to a specific DNA sequence corresponding to a gene of interest.
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Can be seen as a cheap form of DNA sequencing that only test for a few hits. Some major applications:
- gene expression profiling
- single-nucleotide polymorphism: specificity is high enough to detect snips