|
My research involves
creating DNA microarrays in which single nucleotide
polymorphisms (SNPs) can be differentiated by the "surface
invader" reaction. SNPs are the most common DNA differences
among individuals, and there are approximately 3 million
SNPs in the human genome. Our goal is to detect all
of the SNPs of an individual, essentially mapping the
genome. Another goal of my research is to detect the
SNPs of a given gene (the different alleles of the gene)
in a large number of individuals at once. Both of the
projects require the ability to create millions of features
on one DNA chip. Using a digital micromirror device,
it has been shown that 786,000 different features can
be placed on a single chip at the same time (Nuwaysir
et al., Gen. Res. 12: 1749, 2002). These new
microarrays will allow high throughput genotyping on
a scale previously unseen. Combined with the surface
invader reaction, it will be possible to genotype a
whole person by SNP analysis or several hundred thousand
people at one SNP location very quickly.
|
