The Facility supports two oligonucleotide microarray formats (Affymetrix^® and Illumina^® platforms) to offer a range of cost and performance options suitable for a variety of experimental questions.

The Affymetrix GeneChip^® Platform in combination with elaborate bioinformatics analysis. The Affymetrix GeneChip^® technology has become the “gold standard” in gene expression profiling technologies and offers high reproducibility. Affymetrix GeneChip^® arrays are high-density oligonucleotide microarrays produced using a photolithographic technology, similar to those used to make semiconductor chips. Target genes are probed by single stranded 25-mer oligonucleotides and each gene is represented on the array by 11-20 different probe pairs (probe sets). The process results in extremely high-density arrays of specific oligonucleotide probe sets synthesized onto glass substrate, which is then placed in a plastic cartridge for easy and safe hybridization, staining, washing, and handling. Up to 5,500,000 probes are synthesized on a single array. Our Laboratory is among the largest producers of microarray data in Italy.

The Illumina BeadArray^® Technology Platform
Illumina’s BeadArray Technology is based on 3-micron silica beads that self assemble in microwells. When randomly assembled on one of these two substrates, the beads have a uniform spacing of ~5.7 microns. Each bead is covered with hundreds of thousands of copies of a specific oligonucleotide probes. Gene expression analysis is performed using a 79-base oligonucleotide that has two segments. The 5′ 50-base segment of the oligonucleotide is designed to hybridize to sequences available in the public data repositories and binds to the labeled target; The 3′ 29-base segment of the oligonucleotide is the address created by Illumina specifically to allow unambiguous identification of the oligonucleotide after it has been deposited on the array.

Services are also available to researchers outside of the Genopolis consortium founding partner institutes.

Confidentiality of customers’ data is protected.

To use our service, please download the sample submission form:  Click here .