Proteomics investigations are at the leading edge of functional genomics today and the development of protein arrays reflects the realisation that functional genomics discoveries will depend heavily on progress in defining the expression of, and interactions among, proteins.
Biochip technology consists in measuring an interaction between a probe (protein, antibody) grafted on a solid support (glass slide, silicon disc) and a target (protein) previously labelled or not (fluorophore…).
The objective behind protein array development is to achieve efficient and sensitive high throughput protein analysis, carrying out large numbers of determinations in parallel by automated means. Protein arrays make possible the parallel multiplex screening of thousands of interactions and allow to be considered as a tool applicable to a number of applications.
Conventional proteome analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry,has limitations in particular with proteins of interest at low abundance. Since the low abundance proteins are often those of the greatest diagnostic interest (e.g. cytokines and biomarkers in plasma), there is therefore an acknowledged need for other highly sensitive, specific and accessible high throughput technologies for protein detection, quantification and differential expression analysis in health and disease. For this reason, protein arrays are generating enormous interest at the research and biotechnology levels.
Protein and antibody biochips allow the multiplexing and miniaturization of usual techniques of proteome study. Protein and antibody microarrays represent today a cutting-edge and powerful technology for high throughput analysis and their easy handling allow them to be considered as a tool useful to a number of applications. The added value of this microarray technology relies on:
- more information, less time
- more cost-saving, less biological samples
- more homogeneity, less analysis difficulty
In addition to diagnostics applications, protein array technology promises to accelerate basic research on protein-protein interactions and will allow protein expression profiling, ranging from limited numbers of proteins up to global proteomic analysis, while in the pharmaceutical industry protein arrays can be integrated into target identification and validation processes. Of course, protein arrays also provide rich biological information for biomarker identification for diagnostic purposes for instance.
Biochip technology consists in measuring an interaction between a probe (protein, antibody) grafted on a solid support (glass slide, silicon disc) and a target (protein) previously labelled or not (fluorophore…).
The objective behind protein array development is to achieve efficient and sensitive high throughput protein analysis, carrying out large numbers of determinations in parallel by automated means. Protein arrays make possible the parallel multiplex screening of thousands of interactions and allow to be considered as a tool applicable to a number of applications.
Conventional proteome analysis by 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry,has limitations in particular with proteins of interest at low abundance. Since the low abundance proteins are often those of the greatest diagnostic interest (e.g. cytokines and biomarkers in plasma), there is therefore an acknowledged need for other highly sensitive, specific and accessible high throughput technologies for protein detection, quantification and differential expression analysis in health and disease. For this reason, protein arrays are generating enormous interest at the research and biotechnology levels.
Protein and antibody biochips allow the multiplexing and miniaturization of usual techniques of proteome study. Protein and antibody microarrays represent today a cutting-edge and powerful technology for high throughput analysis and their easy handling allow them to be considered as a tool useful to a number of applications. The added value of this microarray technology relies on:
- more information, less time
- more cost-saving, less biological samples
- more homogeneity, less analysis difficulty