Subject(s)
Bibliographies as Topic , Green Fluorescent Proteins/chemistry , Luminescent Measurements , Luminescent Proteins/chemistry , Animals , Biological Assay/methods , Green Fluorescent Proteins/genetics , Green Fluorescent Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Luminescence , Luminescent Proteins/genetics , Luminescent Proteins/metabolismABSTRACT
Miniaturization of genetic tests has become an important goal. This review surveys the current progress towards the miniaturization of tests based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It examines the different types of PCR microchip designs, fabrication methods,and the components of a microchip PCR device. It also discusses the problems attributable to surface chemistry of microchip components (inhibition of PCR), and the static and dynamic surface passivation strategies developed for the solution of these difficulties
Subject(s)
Polymerase Chain Reaction/instrumentation , Equipment Design , Microchemistry/instrumentation , Microchemistry/methods , Miniaturization/instrumentation , Miniaturization/methods , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
The journal provides comprehensive literature searches on all aspects of luminescence which will be published in most issues. These lists have been produced regularly since 1986-some by year and some by specialized topic. This survey of papers on Obelia, Renilla, Aequorea and Gonyaulax is drawn from the 2000 literature and covers the biology of these organisms and the applications of genes and proteins from these organisms in analysis.
Subject(s)
Luminescence , Animals , Cnidaria , Dinoflagellida , HydrozoaABSTRACT
The Journal provides comprehensive literature searches on all aspects of luminescence, which will be published in most issues. These lists have been produced regularly since 1986-some by year and some by specialized topic. This survey of papers on chemiluminescent and bioluminescent immunoassays is drawn from the 2000 literature and covers reagents, assay development and validation, and applications.
Subject(s)
Immunoassay/methods , Animals , Humans , Luminescence , Luminescent MeasurementsABSTRACT
Micro miniaturization of analytical procedures is having significant impact on diagnostic testing, and will enable highly complex clinical testing to be miniaturized and permit testing to move from the central laboratory into non-laboratory settings. The diverse range of micro analytical devices includes microchips, gene chips, bioelectronic chips. They have been applied to several clinically important assays (e.g., PCR, immunoassay). The main advantages of the new devices are integration of multiple steps in complex analytical procedures, diversity of application, sub-microliter consumption of reagents and sample, and portability. These devices form the basis of new and smaller analyzers (e.g., capillary electrophoresis) and may ultimately be used in even smaller devices useful in decentralized testing (lab-on-a-chip, personal laboratories). The impact of microchips on healthcare costs could be significant via timely intervention and monitoring, combined with improved treatments (e.g., microchip-based pharmacogenomic tests). Empowerment of health consumers to perform self-testing is limited, but microchips could accelerate this process and so produce a level of self-awareness of biochemical and genetic information hitherto unimaginable. The next level of miniaturization is the nanochip (nanometer-sized features) and the technological foundation for these futuristic devices is discernable in nanotubes and self-assembling molecular structures.
Subject(s)
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Semiconductors , Miniaturization , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
A computer numerical control-machined plexiglas-based microchip module was designed and constructed for the integration of blood sample preparation and nucleic acid amplification reactions. The microchip module is comprised of a custom-made heater-cooler for thermal cycling, a series of 254 microm x 254 microm microchannels for transporting human whole blood and reagents in and out of an 8--9 microL dual-purpose (cell isolation and PCR) glass-silicon microchip. White blood cells were first isolated from a small volume of human whole blood (<3 microL) in an integrated cell isolation--PCR microchip containing a series of 3.5-microm feature-sized "weir-type" filters, formed by an etched silicon dam spanning the flow chamber. A genomic target, a region in the human coagulation Factor V gene (226-bp), was subsequently directly amplified by microchip-based PCR on DNA released from white blood cells isolated on the filter section of the microchip mounted onto the microchip module. The microchip module provides a convenient means to simplify nucleic acid analyses by integrating two key steps in genetic testing procedures, cell isolation and PCR and promises to be adaptable for additional types of integrated assays.
