This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 677 an undergraduate course at UW-Madison
What are Microarrays?
Fig 1: This is what a chip analysis looks like from a microarray
Microarrays are a way to look at DNA expression levels of hundreds of thousands of genes at once [1]. It attaches microscopic spots of DNA to the surface of the chip and then uses a large array of probes that are specific for a certain strand of DNA to identify the expression levels of many different strands of DNA [1]. It allows a large number of DNA samples to measured at once in a fast and efficient manner and is useful to look at gene expression in many different types of experiments. It can be used to see the expression of a large number of genes at once in one organism or be used to compare two different organism's expression levels. Other ways it is utilized is by using it to compare two different tissue samples or to compare an affected individuals gene expression to a non-affected individual's gene expression. It is a useful tool that can be used in a wide variety of organisms and is very useful for genomic analysis.
BBS1 and Microarrays-Analysis
BBS1 microarray data was found using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. This database complies microarray data so that the scientific community can utilize the data found in more experiments [2]. There were a large range of microarrays that BBS1 had been included but none that specifically looked at Bardet-Biedl Syndrome between two patients or in a specific affected tissue. These microarrays were done on many different organisms and tissue sample. Some organisms that were included were rat, fly, mouse, and human. The microarrays ranged in screens from fat accumulation studies to different reproductive gene microarrays to different hormone expression levels. This huge amount of microarrays that were performed show how large of an affect BBS1 is thought to have in the primary cilia formation. It indicates why BBS1 when mutated causes a wide array of symptoms to its patients. More microarrays could be done to specifically look at the different symptoms of Bardet-Biedl syndrome to greater understand the wide range of pathways that BBS1 is involved in and also how it specifically causing that symptom.
To see how microarrays could be used in the future, see future directions.
To see how microarrays could be used in the future, see future directions.
References:
[Banner Photo]"NDM-1" NDM-1. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/czc5161/blogs/testing/references.html.
[1] DNA Microarray Technology. National Human Genome Research Institute. Retrieved May 15, 2013 from http://www.genome.gov/10000533
[2] Gene Expression Omnibus. NCBI. Retreived May 15, 2013 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/
[Banner Photo]"NDM-1" NDM-1. Retrieved 12 March 2013 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/czc5161/blogs/testing/references.html.
[1] DNA Microarray Technology. National Human Genome Research Institute. Retrieved May 15, 2013 from http://www.genome.gov/10000533
[2] Gene Expression Omnibus. NCBI. Retreived May 15, 2013 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/