History

A DNA microarrays is a solid surface (glass slide or silicon chips)

1988: First patents applied for DNA microarrays

1991: Photolithographic printing (Affymetrix), first licensing of DNA microarray patents granted

1994: First cDNA collections are developed at Stranford, Eupropean Patent Specification (EP0373203) for DNA microarrays granted

1995: Quantitative monitoring of gene expression patterns with a complementary DNA microarray, Oxford Gene Technology Limited founded by Professor Edwin Southern to exploit patented technology developed in his research laboratories at Oxford University

1996: Commercialization of arrays (Affymetrix)

1997: Genome- wide expression monitoring in S. cerevisiae (yeast), First US patent (US5700637) for DNA microarrays granted, Microarray patents assigned from Oxford University (Isis) to OGT

2000: Portraits/ Signatures of cancer.

2003: Introduction into clinical practices

2004: Whole human genome on one microarray


Before the era of DNA microarray technology, Differential Display Technology (Liang and Pardee, 1992) was a major tool that opened the door to interpretation of genome-wide information. This technology is allows detection of altered gene expression patterns by running a DNA sequencing gel after PCR amplification of total mRNA samples from control and experimental conditions. The popularity of this technology did not last long due to it high false positive rate and the impossibility of identifying more than a few genes. This “differential sequencing” was replaced by differential hybridization within a few years. This technique relied on the “reverse northern” hybridization approach: known cDNA probes are spotted on nylon membranes and hybridized by control and experimental samples. This eventually led to the development of currently popular technology, DNA microarray, pioneered by Patrick Brown and David Botstein in 1995 (Schena et al, 1995) and Chee in 1996 (Chee et al, 1996). In 1997, a complete eukaryotic genome (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was established on a microarray (Lashkaari et al, 1997).