Anthony D. Barone

PHOTOLITHOGRAPHIC SYNTHESIS OF HIGH-DENSITY OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBE ARRAYS

High-density DNA probe arrays provide a massively parallel approach to nucleic acid sequence analysis that is transforming gene-based biomedical research and diagnostics. Light-directed combinatorial oligonucleotide synthesis has enabled the large-scale production of GeneChip® probe arrays which contain several hundred of thousand oligonucleotide sequences on glass “chips” about one cm2 in size. Due to their very high information content, GeneChip® probe arrays are finding widespread use in the hybridization-based detection and analysis of mutations and polymorphisms (“genotyping”), and in a wide range of gene expression studies. The manufacturing process integrates solid-phase photochemical oligonucleotide synthesis with lithographic techniques adapted from the microelectronics industry. The present-generation methodology employs MeNPOC photo-activatable nucleoside monomers with proximity photolithography, and is currently capable of printing individual 10 μm2 probe features at a density of 106 probes/cm2.

NOVEL NUCLEOSIDE TRIPHOSPHATE ANALOGS FOR THE ENZYMATIC LABELING OF NUCLEIC ACIDS

We have evaluated several novel nucleotide analogs suitable for enzymatic labeling of nucleic acid targets for a variety of array-based assays. Two new reagents in particular, a C4-labeled 1-(2′,3′-dideoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl) imid- azole-4-carboxamide 5′-triphosphate 5 and an N1-labeled 5-(β-D- ribofuranosyl)-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione 5′-triphosphate 3, were found to be excellent substrates for labeling with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and T7 RNA polymerase, respectively.