Examination of animal and zoonotic pathogens using microarrays.

Abstract

The advancement in functional genomics, such as DNA microarrays along with the genome availability of important pathogens as well as of human and livestock species has allowed scientists to study the expression of thousands of genes in a single step. In the past decade, DNA arrays have been employed to study infectious processes of pathogens, in diagnostics, and to study host-pathogen interactions. The generation of enormous data sets by microarray experiments also stimulated the growth of a new generation of analytical software. The information provided by microarray experiments has been useful in generating new hypotheses for future research. The concept of DNA array technology has been utilized in the development of novel diagnostic methods. This review highlights the application of microarrays in the field of veterinary research.