Tuesday, September 28, 2010

DNA Microarray Technology: Advantages and Disadvantages

A DNA Microarray is a test that allows for the comparison of thousands of genes at once.  This test has cut away a great deal of time in experimentation, but now scientists need to focus on the meanings of these results.

Advantages of the DNA Microarray:
  • Provides data for thousands of genes
  • One experiment instead of many
  • Fast and easy to obtain results
  • Huge step closer to discovering cures for diseases and cancer
  • Different parts of DNA can be used to study gene expresion
Disadvantages of the DNA Microarray:
  • Correlations in results do not mean causation
  • Very little knowledge is available about many genes
  • Just because mRNA is "turned on" doesn't mean proteins are made 
  • Will the findings lead to unethical medical procedures?
  • Scientists have no standardized way to share results

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Please add to advantages and disadvantages of technolgy. Also, please share your experience with technology.