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.