http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/microarrays/ Microarray Technology. DNA chips, lab-on-a-chip, microarrays and more. Read all the latest discoveries and research news here. Full-text, images, free. en-us Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:05:01 EDT Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/microarrays/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724175855.htm A type of device called a "lab-on-a-chip" could bring a new generation of instant home tests for illnesses, food contaminants and toxic gases. But today these portable, efficient tools are often stuck in the lab themselves. Specifically, in the labs of researchers who know how to make them from scratch. Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080724175855.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708094128.htm Researchers have demonstrated functional components that exploit the magnetic properties of electrons to perform logic operations. Compatible with existing microtechnology, the new approach heralds the next era of faster, smaller and more efficient electronics. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080708094128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701140210.htm Detecting food-borne diseases such as campylobacter and salmonella long before they enter the food chain would help ensure that the dinner on your table is safe to eat. There is currently no quick and simple way to detect infectious bacteria on farms, or even in food processing and distribution plants. Samples have to be sent to labs for testing, a process that can take hours or days. But what if tests for campylobacter and salmonella could be run on the spot in as little as half an hour? Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701140210.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701180141.htm Researchers have developed a technology that uses "microjets" to deposit liquid into tiny channels and remove five times more heat than other experimental high-performance chip-cooling methods for computers and electronics. Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701180141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613174720.htm A low-power microchip uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than comparable chips now on the market. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613174720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613105914.htm A new DNA microarray chip can predict severe disability and remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The chip has yielded two clinical-genetic models of RA outcomes, to assist physicians in anticipating likely disease progression and prognosis and thereby guide decisions on the best course of treatment for individual patients. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613105914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135030.htm Computer engineers have created a way to design integrated circuits that contain many individual selves. The chips can assume different identities, depending on the user's needs. The new method enables programmers to strategically reconfigure application-specific integrated circuits while preserving their advantages, such as speed and low power. The chips could be used for enhanced device security, content provisioning, application metering, device optimization and many other design tasks. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080611135030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080606152512.htm In IBM's labs, miniscule rivers of water are cooling computer chips that have circuits and components stacked on top of each other, a design that promises to extend Moore's Law into the next decade and significantly reduce the energy consumed by data centers. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080606152512.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080529162717.htm Is microwave radiation the nondestructive imaging technology of the future? Microwaves with frequencies from a few hundred gigahertz up to slightly over 1 terahertz, penetrate just a short distance into surfaces without the ionizing damage caused by X-rays. The technology could be used to detect skin cancer or image dental flaws beneath the enamel. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080529162717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506151137.htm Engineers are developing advanced "cell-based sensors-on-a-chip" technology. These tiny sensors, only a few millimeters in size, could speed up and improve the detection of everything from explosive materials to biological pathogens to spoiled food or impure water. Wed, 07 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506151137.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423101810.htm Researchers have developed a method to calculate how a device can provide maximum functionality with a minimum quantity of processor and memory capacity. TVs, DVD players and mobile phones can malfunction when the inbuilt chips and software cease to cope with the increasingly large flow of data. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423101810.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154822.htm Researchers have combined two tiny but powerful inventions on a single microchip, a cryogenic sensor and a micro-refrigerator. The combination offers the possibility of cheaper, simpler and faster precision analysis of materials such as semiconductors and stardust. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415154822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111556.htm Early diagnosis of a heart attack may now be possible using only a few drops of saliva and a new nano-bio-chip, according to new research. The nano-bio-chip assay could some day be used to analyze a patient's saliva on board an ambulance, at the dentist's office or at a neighborhood drugstore, helping save lives and prevent damage from cardiac disease. The device is the size of a credit card and can produce results in as little as 15 minutes. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416111556.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172255.htm A team of physicists and engineers has demonstrated exquisite control of single particles of light -- photons -- on a silicon chip to make a major advance towards the long sought after goal of a super-powerful quantum computer. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172255.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110342.htm Bottom-up manufacturing may hold the key to production of tiny medical devices capable of testing for multiple molecules like viruses or cancer markers, according to researchers. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080307110342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305173345.htm Hardware piracy, or making knock-off microchips based on stolen blueprints, is a burgeoning problem in the electronics industry. Computer engineers have devised a comprehensive way to head off this costly infringement: Each chip would have its own unique lock and key. The patent holder would hold the keys. The chip would securely communicate with the patent-holder to unlock itself, and it could operate only after being unlocked. Sat, 08 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305173345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225101114.htm A new type of optical tweezer with the potential to make biological and microfluidic force measurements in integrated systems such as microfluidic chips has been developed. The tweezer, consisting of a Fresnel Zone Plate microfabricated on a glass slide, has the ability to trap particles without the need for high performance objective lenses. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080225101114.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216180609.htm Integrated circuits, such as the silicon chips inside all modern electronics, are only as good as their wiring, but copper conduits are approaching physical performance limitations as they get thinner. Chipmakers have hoped that carbon "nanotubes" would allow them to continue using thinner wiring as they pack more devices into chips, but no one had demonstrated nanotube wires working on a conventional silicon chip. Electrical engineers are now reporting using nanotubes to wire a silicon chip operating at speeds comparable to those of commercially available processors and memory. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216180609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211172547.htm As computers become more complex, the demand increases for more connections between computer chips and external circuitry and better connections that operate at higher frequencies with less loss. Researchers are developing new methods to improve these two types of connections to increase the amount and speed of information that can be sent throughout a computer. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080211172547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212131257.htm Researchers have devised a micro-scale tool -- a lab on a chip -- designed to mimic the chemical complexities of the brain. The system should help scientists better understand how nerve cells in the brain work together to form the nervous system. Nerve cells decide which direction to grow by sensing both the chemical cues flowing through their environment as well as those attached to the surfaces that surround them. The chip, which is made of a plastic-like substance and covered with a glass lid, features a system of channels and wells that allow researchers to control the flow of specific chemical cocktails around single nerve cells. Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080212131257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212816.htm Two researchers have created a send/receive chip that functions as an active array, sending out a matrix of 49 simultaneous ultrawideband radar probe beams and picking up the returned beam reflections. It is fabricated by economical CMOS technology. Applications for 49-pixel probe-and-camera system range from medical imaging to emergency rescue. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204212816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204102750.htm A new chip design for portable electronics can be up to 10 times more energy-efficient than present technology. The design could lead to cell phones, implantable medical devices and sensors that last far longer when running from a battery. In some applications, such as implantable medical devices, the goal is to make the power requirements so low that they could be powered exclusively by the body's own heat or movement. Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080204102750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114112014.htm While the world's biggest football game is under way, someone will be awarded the world's smallest trophy, created by nanotechnology specialists. The trophy is built around a silicon chip on which, like Russian nesting dolls, football fields nest inside one another, the largest about 12 millimeters long and the smallest only 2 microns (millionths of a meter) long. Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080114112014.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110144839.htm Scientists have developed the world's first gene detection platform made up entirely from self-assembled DNA nanostructures. The results, appearing in Science, could have broad implications for gene chip technology and may also revolutionize the way in which gene expression is analyzed in a single cell. Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080110144839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112083626.htm Over the last four decades, computer chips have found their way into virtually every electronic device in the world. During that time they have become smaller, cheaper and more powerful, but, for a team of European researchers, there is still plenty of scope to push back the limits of miniaturization. The first generation of CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) chips were based on a design process with lithographic features defining regions inside the transistors of 10 micrometers or more. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080112083626.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221180050.htm The ultra-high data speeds possible on optical fiber networks will only come into their own when the fibers reach the last mile into everyone's home. But that will require miniaturization and integration of optical components on a scale not yet seen. European researchers may have some of the answers. Broadband access has transformed the economic potential of the internet. But the ADSL technology that delivers broadband to homes over traditional copper telephone wires is reaching its limit of around 10 megabits per second. If we want speeds ten times faster then we need to replace the copper with optical fibers. Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071221180050.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154738.htm Integrated circuits are the "brain" in computers, cell phones, and many other electronic devices. Scientists have demonstrated substantial improvements in integrated circuits, also known as silicon chips, achieved not by costly improvements in manufacturing, but by improved computer-aided design software based on better mathematical algorithms. Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219154738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192013.htm Bypassing decades-old conventions in making computer chips, engineers developed a novel way to replace silicon with carbon on large surfaces, clearing the way for new generations of faster, more powerful cell phones, computers and other electronics. The new practical technique shows great promise with the carbon material called graphene. Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071218192013.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203111254.htm Engineers have demonstrated a highly versatile, compact and portable Quantum Cascade Laser sensor for the fast detection of a large number of chemicals, ranging from infinitesimal traces of gases to liquids, by broad tuning of the emission wavelength. The potential range of applications is huge, including homeland security, medical diagnostics such as breadth analysis, pollution monitoring, and environmental sensing of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203111254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119143651.htm A new "lung-on-a-chip" mimics the fluid mechanics of the real thing on a plastic wafer just bigger than a quarter. It allows researchers to grow lung airway cells that act more like they're in a human body instead of a Petri dish. Biomedical engineers used the device to show that the respiratory crackles stethoscopes pick up in patients with diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia and congestive heart failure aren't just symptoms, but may actually cause lung damage. Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119143651.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108162010.htm Researchers have demonstrated what is probably the world's smallest microwave oven, a tiny mechanism that can heat a pinhead-sized drop of liquid inside a container slightly shorter than an ant and half as wide as a single hair. Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071108162010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030135705.htm Electrical engineers have developed the world's most complex 'phased array' -- or radio frequency integrated circuit. This advance is expected to find its way into US defense satellite communication and radar systems. In addition, the innovations in this chip design will likely spill over into commercial applications, such as automotive satellite systems for direct broadcast TV, and new methods for high-speed wireless data transfer. Sun, 04 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030135705.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030095128.htm In a feat that seems like something out of a microscopic version of Star Trek, MIT researchers have found a way to use a "tractor beam" of light to pick up, hold, and move around individual cells and other objects on the surface of a microchip. Wed, 31 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030095128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029172905.htm A new technique uses a magnetic field to selectively separate tiny magnetic particles, representing a highly sensitive method for potentially diagnosing disease by testing samples from patients. Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071029172905.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025143257.htm Researchers have for the first time have integrated optical functions with microfluidic ones, enabling the sorting of particles by light. The new design for a "lab-on-a-chip" structure provides the ability to move or sort particles using light. In addition to the advance in telecom and datacom applications this brings, the new architecture also lends itself to applications in biodetection, including the sorting of viruses and protein recognition. Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071025143257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015093528.htm A new DNA sequencing process is simpler, more accurate and efficient than the multiplex PCR that was previously used to sequence portions of the genome. Microarrays are used to enrich or increase the volume of specific genomic sequences. Then high throughput DNA sequencing machines quickly determine the exact genetic code of the material. Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015093528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163703.htm A new technology will allow researchers to more easily discover subtle and overlooked genetic variations that may have serious consequences for health and disease. Called Microarray-based Genomic Selection, the research protocol allows scientists to extract and enrich specific large-sized DNA regions, then compare genetic variation among individuals using DNA resequencing methods. Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001152247.htm Engineers have shown how to grow forests of tiny cylinders called carbon nanotubes onto the surfaces of computer chips to enhance the flow of heat at a critical point where the chips connect to cooling devices called heat sinks. Wed, 03 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001152247.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070919154822.htm Like many oncologists, Eric P. Lester, M.D., was faced with a dilemma: seven patients with advanced, incurable cancer; an arsenal of drugs that may or may not help them; and not enough solid proof about treatment efficacy to guide him. So, Dr. Lester devised what he called a "simple-minded experiment" that illustrates the promise of personalized medicine. Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070919154822.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918144313.htm Cancer-sensing devices built as cheaply and efficiently as wristwatches -- using many of the same operating principles -- could change the way clinicians detect, treat and monitor cancer in patients. Researchers have created an acoustic sensor that can report the presence of small amounts of mesothelin, a molecule associated with a number of cancers including mesothelioma, as they attach to the sensor's surface. Sat, 22 Sep 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918144313.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912113900.htm Researchers have discovered a way to generate light and reduce damage in a leading candidate for next-generation microelectronics lithography. The technique could help pack more power into smaller computer chips. In the quest for creating computer chips with ever-smaller feature sizes, chip manufacturers are exploring extreme ultraviolet lithography as the next chip-printing technology. Wed, 19 Sep 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912113900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070910101045.htm Tiny new laboratory tools termed microfluidic devices are helping biomedical researchers to better understand the physiological and chemical processes underlying high blood pressure, stroke, sickle cell disease and other disorders, according to a new article. One of the exciting developments described in the article is a "lung on a chip" device that will give researchers new insights into fluid dynamics in the diseased lung -- a key to new treatments for pneumonia, cystic fibrosis and asthma. Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070910101045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070905081546.htm Researchers have developed microchips capable of quickly and cheaply identifying dangerous and drug resistant bacteria in clinical samples, scientists recently announced. Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070905081546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806160105.htm If you have ever marveled over the orderly process by which cars, buses and other modes of transportation are directed toward their destinations in a big city, you'll really appreciate the work of one Florida State University chemist. He is designing a "smart" traffic system similar to those in major metropolises. A major difference, though, is its size: this researcher's grid is small enough to fit on a tiny microchip. Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070806160105.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809172121.htm Researchers have demonstrated the ability of a third-generation nanofountain probe to directly deposit gold nanoparticles, 15 nanometers in diameter, onto silicon substrates. The direct-write method of deposition provides better control over resultant patterns and simplifies the process of fabricating functional structures, as compared to conventional photolithographic or microstamping techniques. Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070809172121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070722225356.htm On Tuesday July 17th the 91st International Four Days Marches start in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Last year two people died during the Marches - with about 43,000 entrants the world's largest walking event - due to the extreme heat. Also, ambulances and hospitals in and around Nijmegen could hardly cope with the number of fainting and suffering walkers. This year professor Maria Hopman starts scientific research on the reactions of the human body to the exertion of walking. She does so by using a special pill, with a chip in it. Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070722225356.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719171812.htm Microbiologists have coaxed less than one percent of the bacterial species that inhabit natural environments into growing in culture. But a new microfluidics device -- an intricate system of miniscule valves and chambers -- may help scientists who want to identify and characterize new microbes circumvent the need to culture them at all. Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070719171812.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625111817.htm Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried/Munich have shown that bioelectronic hybrid systems are no longer just a utopian vision by coupling a receptor to a silicon chip by means of a cell-transistor interface. Tue, 26 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070625111817.htm