DNA immobilization: Silanized nucleic acids and nanoprinting

Over the last decade, the development of DNA microarray technology has allowed the simultaneous analysis of many thousands of different genes in histological or cytological specimens. Although DNA microarrays can also be fabricated by photolithographic synthesis, the current paper focuses mainly on methods of DNA attachment by spotting on solid surfaces. Chemical modifications on solid surfaces (such as glass) and the DNA molecules have been presented with special focus on the approach of silanized nucleic acids, a method of DNA modification that can rid the need of glass surface modifications, and nanoprinting method, a way of producing high-density DNA arrays by a stamping mechanism. Different glass and DNA modifications have been applied to a different extent in the DNA microarray industry, but it is anticipated that, with the application of the DNA chip shifting gradually from large-scale expression profiling to more focused genotyping or diagnostics, the utilization of these methods may also shift according to the needs.