Editing DNA microarray (section)

=== Spotted vs. ''in situ'' synthesised arrays ===
[[File:Microarray printing.ogv|thumb|A DNA microarray being printed by a [[robot]] at the [[University of Delaware]] ]]

Microarrays can be fabricated using a variety of technologies, including printing with fine-pointed pins onto glass slides, [[photolithography]] using pre-made masks, photolithography using dynamic micromirror devices, ink-jet printing,<ref>J Biochem Biophys Methods. 2000 Mar 16;42(3):105–10. DNA-printing: utilization of a standard inkjet printer for the transfer of nucleic acids to solid supports. Goldmann T, Gonzalez JS.</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Genome Biology | title=POSaM: a fast, flexible, open-source, inkjet oligonucleotide synthesizer and microarrayer| author=Lausted C| volume = 5 | pages=R58 | doi=10.1186/gb-2004-5-8-r58 | pmid=15287980 | date=2004| issue=8| pmc=507883|display-authors=etal| doi-access=free}}</ref> or [[electrochemistry]] on microelectrode arrays.

In ''spotted microarrays'', the probes are [[oligonucleotide synthesis|oligonucleotide]]s, [[cDNA]] or small fragments of [[Polymerase chain reaction|PCR]] products that correspond to [[mRNA]]s. The probes are [[oligonucleotide synthesis|synthesized]] prior to deposition on the array surface and are then "spotted" onto glass. A common approach utilizes an array of fine pins or needles controlled by a robotic arm that is dipped into wells containing DNA probes and then depositing each probe at designated locations on the array surface. The resulting "grid" of probes represents the nucleic acid profiles of the prepared probes and is ready to receive complementary cDNA or cRNA "targets" derived from experimental or clinical samples.
This technique is used by research scientists around the world to produce "in-house" printed microarrays in their own labs. These arrays may be easily customized for each experiment, because researchers can choose the probes and printing locations on the arrays, synthesize the probes in their own lab (or collaborating facility), and spot the arrays. They can then generate their own labeled samples for hybridization, hybridize the samples to the array, and finally scan the arrays with their own equipment. This provides a relatively low-cost microarray that may be customized for each study, and avoids the costs of purchasing often more expensive commercial arrays that may represent vast numbers of genes that are not of interest to the investigator.
Publications exist which indicate in-house spotted microarrays may not provide the same level of sensitivity compared to commercial oligonucleotide arrays,<ref name="TRC Standardization">{{cite journal |date=2005 |title=Standardizing global gene expression analysis between laboratories and across platforms |journal=Nat Methods |volume=2 |pages=351–356 |pmid=15846362 |doi=10.1038/nmeth754 |last12=Deng |first12=S |last13=Dressman |first13=HK |last14=Fannin |first14=RD |last15=Farin |first15=FM |last16=Freedman |first16=JH |last17=Fry |first17=RC |last18=Harper |first18=A |last19=Humble |first19=MC |last20=Hurban |first20=P |last21=Kavanagh |first21=TJ |last22=Kaufmann |first22=WK |first23=KF |first24=L |first25=JA |first26=MR |last27=Li |first27=J |first28=YJ |last29=Lobenhofer |first29=EK |last30=Lu |last31=Malek |first31=RL |last32=Milton |first32=S |last33=Nagalla |first33=SR |last34=O'malley |first34=JP |last35=Palmer |first35=VS |last36=Pattee |first36=P |last7=Paules |first7=RS |last38=Perou |first38=CM |last9=Phillips |first39=K |last40=Qin |last41=Qiu |first41=Y |last42=Quigley |first42=SD |last43=Rodland |first43=M |last44=Rusyn |first44=I |last45=Samson |first45= LD|last46= Schwartz|last47=Shi |first47=Y |last48=Shin |last49=Sieber |last50=Slifer |last51=Speer |first51=MC |last52=Spencer |first52=PS |last53=Sproles |first53=DI |last54=Swenberg |first54=JA |last55=Suk|first55= WA |last56=Sullivan |first56=RC |last57=Tian |first57=R |last58=Tennant |first58=RW |last59= Todd |first59=SA |last60=Tucker |first60=CJ |last61=Van Houten |first61=B |last62=Weis |first62=BK |last63=Xuan |first63=S |last64=Zarbl |first64=H |last65=Members of the Toxicogenomics Research |first65=Consortium |issue=5 |author1=Bammler T, Beyer RP |author2=Consortium, Members of the Toxicogenomics Research |last3=Kerr |last4=Jing |last5=Lapidus |last6=Lasarev |last8=Li |first3=X |first4=LX |first6=DA |first8=JL |first9=SO |first5=S |s2cid=195368323 }}</ref> possibly owing to the small batch sizes and reduced printing efficiencies when compared to industrial manufactures of oligo arrays.

In ''oligonucleotide microarrays'', the probes are short sequences designed to match parts of the sequence of known or predicted [[open reading frame]]s. Although oligonucleotide probes are often used in "spotted" microarrays, the term "oligonucleotide array" most often refers to a specific technique of manufacturing. Oligonucleotide arrays are produced by printing short oligonucleotide sequences designed to represent a single gene or family of gene splice-variants by [[oligonucleotide synthesis|synthesizing]] this sequence directly onto the array surface instead of depositing intact sequences. Sequences may be longer (60-mer probes such as the [[Agilent]] design) or shorter (25-mer probes produced by [[Affymetrix]]) depending on the desired purpose; longer probes are more specific to individual target genes, shorter probes may be spotted in higher density across the array and are cheaper to manufacture.
One technique used to produce oligonucleotide arrays include [[photolithographic]] synthesis (Affymetrix) on a silica substrate where light and light-sensitive masking agents are used to "build" a sequence one nucleotide at a time across the entire array.<ref name="Affy PNAS Paper">{{cite journal|author=Pease AC|author2=Solas D|author3=Sullivan EJ|author4=Cronin MT|author5=Holmes CP|author6=Fodor SP|date= 1994|title=Light-generated oligonucleotide arrays for rapid DNA sequence analysis|journal=PNAS|volume=91|pages=5022–5026|pmid=8197176|doi=10.1073/pnas.91.11.5022|issue=11|pmc=43922|bibcode=1994PNAS...91.5022P|doi-access=free}}</ref> Each applicable probe is selectively "unmasked" prior to bathing the array in a solution of a single nucleotide, then a masking reaction takes place and the next set of probes are unmasked in preparation for a different nucleotide exposure. After many repetitions, the sequences of every probe become fully constructed. More recently, Maskless Array Synthesis from NimbleGen Systems has combined flexibility with large numbers of probes.<ref name="NimbleGen Genome Res Paper">{{cite journal|author=Nuwaysir EF|author2=Huang W|author3=Albert TJ|author4=Singh J|author5=Nuwaysir K|author6=Pitas A|author7=Richmond T|author8=Gorski T|author9=Berg JP|author10=Ballin J|author11=McCormick M|author12=Norton J|author13=Pollock T|author14=Sumwalt T|author15=Butcher L|author16=Porter D|author17=Molla M|author18=Hall C|author19=Blattner F|author20=Sussman MR|author21=Wallace RL|author22=Cerrina F|author23=Green RD|date= 2002|title=Gene Expression Analysis Using Oligonucleotide Arrays Produced by Maskless Photolithography|journal=Genome Res|volume=12|pages=1749–1755|pmid=12421762|doi=10.1101/gr.362402|issue=11|pmc=187555}}</ref>