The company's XNA on Gold™ is a new array platform with low initial overhead and tremendous flexibility that incorporates a number of design improvements. In order to fully appreciate this product, it is necessary to examine all the layers of an XNA on Gold slide. Since each platform is built on a standard glass slide, XNA on Gold can be used with most spotters and chip readers. Slides are coated with a thin layer of gold and a self-assembling layer of streptavidin-saturated thiol alkanes. These layers create a uniform base, decrease steric hindrance between sample and substrate, and provide anchoring for the probe. Slides are also treated with a thick film of hydrophobic Teflon that acts as a barrier between wells and prevents cross-contamination. According to Kerry Lowrie, United States marketing manager for Thermo Hybaid, the combination of these various technologies makes XNA on Gold "a particularly uniform and reproducible ...
A Golden Opportunity
In the past decade, bioarray chips have revolutionized the way researchers study changes in gene expression and identify novel genes. A number of complete systems (premade library slides, spotters, and detectors) are available, and a variety of custom chips can be ordered, but the initial investment is large and many systems have a high rate of false-positives.1 Now Thermo Hybaid of Franklin, Mass., is giving researchers another alternative. The company's XNA on Gold™ is a new array plat
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