The objective of this facility is to provide a comprehensive infrastructure of state-of the-art cDNA/oligonucleutide microarray technology for usage by investigators at the University of California, San Diego. The facility provides not only basic microarray gene chip services, but also analytical tools, guidance for study design, and consultation in the interpretation of the gene expression profiling data. In addition, the facility will provide education and training in microarray technology and its appliation to researchers and students.

The WIBE Microarray Core Facility, ArrayCore, is a full service microarray supplier and analysis facility that offers collaborative options for individual researchers. The facility is located in an 1200 sq. ft laboratory in the Science and Engineering Research Facility Building (SERF 286) at center part of UCSD campus.

A recent methodological advancement quickly adopted by investigators around the world, DNA microarrays allow the analysis of thousands of genes on a genomic scale. In brief, singel stranded segments of either genes or expressed sequence tags are bound on a solid support (the 'DNA chip'). Single stranded cDNA are generated from two mRNA samples, control and treatment, and each labeled with different fluorescent dyes. The fluorescently labeled samples are subsequently hybridized to the DNA chip. An increase or decrease of relative gene expression, mRNA levels, can be determined bhy therelative level of flourescence from the control vs. treatment dyes.