The In-Check System is based on a miniaturized silicon lab-on-chip (LoC) where the Polymerase Chain reactor lives together with a customizable microarray module for running a seamless nucleic acid test [1]. This device is designed for accurate temperature performances control, such as accuracy and heating rate provided by both a sophisticated chip calibration process and a precise control by the Temperature Control System (TCS). In addition, the device, is optimized for a microarray fluorescence reading operation by an external instrument, the optical reader (OR). Finally, it is based on microfluidic features that enable to load the chip and fill the reaction chambers without the risk of bubble formation or leaks.In this manuscript are reported the experimental results for the detection of human betaglobine gene (HBB) directly from human cells in less than 2 hours in a silicon reactor. The sample preparation process was entirely performed in one single step into the silicon reactor. It was fully characterized by RT-qPCR. We performed also a comparison study showing higher performances in the LoC silicon reactor than the standard tube. Moreover, the DNA extracted was amplified by PCR, and the resulting product hybridized on the microarray. All the results suggest that the hybridization reactions performed on the silicon LoC can be used to exploit the discriminatory power of microarrays for a specific gene detection.
This manuscript describes the use of a novel biochip platform for the rapid analysis/identification of nucleic acids, including DNA and microRNAs, with very high specificity. This approach combines a unique dynamic chemistry approach for nucleic acid testing and analysis developed by DestiNA Genomics with the STMicroelectronics In-Check platform, which comprises two microfluidic optimized and independent PCR reaction chambers, and a sequential microarray area for nucleic acid capture and identification by fluorescence. With its compact bench-top “footprint” requiring only a single technician to operate, the biochip system promises to transform and expand routine clinical diagnostic testing and screening for genetic diseases, cancers, drug toxicology and heart disease, as well as employment in the emerging companion diagnostics market.
In the last decades, molecular biology has moved from gene-by-gene analysis to more complex studies using a genome-wide scale. Thanks to high-throughput genomic technologies, such as microarrays and next-generation sequencing, a huge amount of information has been generated, expanding our knowledge on the genetic basis of various diseases. Although some of this information could be transferred to clinical diagnostics, the technologies available are not suitable for this purpose. In this review, we will discuss the drawbacks associated with the use of traditional DNA microarrays in diagnostics, pointing out emerging platforms that could overcome these obstacles and offer a more reproducible, qualitative and quantitative multigenic analysis. New miniaturized and automated devices, called Lab-on-Chip, begin to integrate PCR and microarray on the same platform, offering integrated sample-to-result systems. The introduction of this kind of innovative devices may facilitate the transition of genome-based tests into clinical routine.
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