ABSTRACT
This work demonstrates that measurements on such a small scale are possible because researchers were able to measure luminescence in 23 to 70 nl on a microchip. These chips are highly miniaturized devices that intersect with multiple technologies but that are particularly useful for
entities that need efficient screening systems for analytical purposes, e.g., the pharmaceutical industry, forensic analysis, clinical chemistry, and molecular biology/genetic or genomic assay. If we attempt to measure the polymorphic genetic variation of individuals to treat them with drugs that are custom-made for an individual’s genetic makeup, we will need these high-throughput chip assays to perform the measurements. Gene screening to measure the quantitative effects of hormones, toxins, and inhibitors on DNA, RNA, and proteins is being done on a massive scale and will determine many of the new drugs in the future. Selective interference will be accomplished with biochemical and toxicological metabolites and pathways that are heretofore unrecognized.
