A Low Cost Microfluidic Microarray Instrument for Typing Y-Chromosome SNPS

The goal of this project is to design, build, and test a microarray platform for performing DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and analysis of Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The technology (called TruArray) is based on a three dimensional 'gel drop' microarray platform, where primers, which are attached to a polymer backbone, create a 3D 'test tube.' The proposed project includes demonstration of the feasibility of TruArray for analyzing Y-chromosome SNPs with forensically relevant samples (including oral and semen stains), and to demonstrate both specificity (using father/ son pairs) and sensitivity (limit of detection using male/ female mixtures).

ca/ncf