MAGIChip

'MAGIChips, also known as Microarrays of Gel-immobilized Compounds on a chip or Three-dimensional DNA Microarrays are devices for molecular hybridization produced by immobilizing oligonucleotides, DNA, enzymes, antibodies, and other compounds on a photopolymerized micromatrix of polyacrylamide gel pads of 100x100x20µm or smaller size. This technology is used for analysis of nucleic acid hybridization, specific binding of DNA and low-molecular weight compounds with proteins, and protein-protein interactions.

The gel pads increase the surface for hybridization to 50 times, compared to typical Microarrays which are printed on flat surface of a glass slide that is usually treated by chemical compounds on which the probes adhere. A probe density of more than 1012 molecules per gel pad can be achieved due to 3D nature of the gel pads.The array is based on a glass surface that has small polyacrylamide gel units affixed to it. Each gel unit functions as an individual reaction cell as it is surrounded by a hydrophobic glass surface that prevents mixing of the solution in the gel units. This lays a foundation for performing ligation, single base extension, PCR amplification of DNA, on-chip MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and other reactions.

This technology has found potential applications in the area of detection of human polymorphisms and mutations, identification of micro-organisms and their drug resistant and toxic strains.