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Updated: May 26, 2026
09:13
Gene Expression Profiling of Infecting Microbes Using a Digital Bar-coding Platform
Published on: January 13, 2016
Applications of functional gene microarrays for profiling microbial communities.
Zhili He1, Joy D Van Nostrand, Jizhong Zhou
1Institute for Environmental Genomics, Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA.
Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|January 10, 2012
Summary
Functional gene arrays (FGAs) offer sensitive, high-throughput microbial community analysis. This review details FGA applications, methods, and future directions for understanding microbial ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Microbial Ecology
- Environmental Microbiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Functional gene arrays (FGAs) are powerful tools for microbial community analysis.
- GeoChips represent a comprehensive FGA platform for diverse habitats.
- FGAs link microbial structure to ecosystem functions and environmental properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the applications of FGA technology for microbial community profiling.
- To cover target preparation, hybridization, data processing, and analysis.
- To discuss current challenges and future prospects of FGA applications.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Functional Gene Array (FGA) applications.
- Focus on GeoChips as a comprehensive FGA platform.
- Discussion of methodologies including target preparation, hybridization, and data analysis.
Main Results:
- FGAs provide specific, sensitive, quantitative, and high-throughput microbial community characterization.
- Applications span diverse environments like soils, aquatic ecosystems, and bioreactors.
- FGAs address key ecological questions in global change, bioremediation, and human health.
Conclusions:
- FGAs are essential for detailed microbial community profiling and ecological research.
- Further development is needed to address current challenges and expand FGA applications.
- FGA technology holds significant potential for advancing our understanding of microbial ecosystems.
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