This project will serve as both an evaluation of novel instrumentation for making and reading DNA microarrays, as well as a demonstration of their application to HLA typing. Microarray technology offers great opportunities for reductions in the cost and time consumed in HLA typing, both of which can be critical for transplantation related typing. While HLA typing represents an excellent model system, the advantages of this novel technology will be just as important for other applications requiring simultaneous analysis of moderate to large numbers of DNA sequence variants. Moreover, this work will show that microarray technology can be made accessible to individual investigators (in terms of cost, ease of use, and open architecture), for applications ranging from highly parallel genotyping, to clone mapping, to gene expression monitoring. Finally, the system we have developed has the potential to provide truly quantitative results, further distinguishing this novel technology from other approaches to microarray analysis. This work will thus contribute to our goals of advancing microarray technology, and enabling access to individual investigators. A Phase II project would involve more extensive comparative testing of our HLA microarray system, and investigation of other applications for this microarray technology.
The approach we are developing for HLA typing represents a more rapid and cost-effective alternative, with the potential to replace current methods. Our novel microarray technology, in general, has broad applications in genome mapping, genotyping and gene expression monitoring, for research and/or diagnostics. We plan to develop arraying and imaging instrument systems for sale, and believe that access to this novel technology will play a key role in enabling individual investigators in mainstream laboratories to use DNA microarrays.
