RNA and DNA microarrays

The development of microarray technology has revolutionized RNA and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) research. In contrast with traditional biological assays, microarrays allow the simultaneous measurement of tens of thousands of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts for gene expression or of genomic DNA fragments for copy number variation analysis. Over the past decade, genome-wide RNA or DNA microarray analysis has become an essential component of biology and biomedical research. The successful use of microarrays requires attention to unique issues of experimental design and execution. This chapter provides an overview of the methodology and applications of RNA and DNA microarrays in various areas of biological research.