Microarray Analysis of Different Functional Genes of Microorganisms

Abstract

Microorganisms play an integral and unique role in ecosystem function and sustainability. Understanding the structure and composition of microbial communities and their responses and adaptations to environmental perturbations such as toxic contaminants, climate changes, and agricultural and industrial practices is critical in maintaining or restoring desirable ecosystem functions. The DNA microarray (or microchip) technology is a powerful tool for studying gene expression and regulation on a genomic scale and detecting genetic polymorphism in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Compared to conventional membrane-based hybridization, glass slide-based microarrays offer the additional advantages of rapid detection, lower cost, automation, and low background levels. Microarray-based genomic technique is potentially an extremely powerful tool for characterizing microbial communities and their biological functions. Hence, in this chapter, we will focus on the detection of expression level of certain functional genes in Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., and viruses.