Characterization of microarray hybridization stoichiometry

Stoichiometry or reaction stoichiometry is de ned as the calculation of quantitative relationships of reactants in a given reaction. Over the last decade microarray-based assays have evolved from a nascent technology into a key molecular tool widely used in basic, translational, and clinical research [1]. Their primary utility has been gene expression analyses, facilitating high-throughput transcriptome pro ling [2]. Microarrays have also found utility in genotyping and re-sequencing applications, comparative genomic hybridization, and genome-wide (epigenetic) localization studies [3-6]. Regardless of the platform, a microarray is comprised of a library of nucleic acid sequences immobilized in a grid on a solid surface. The nucleotide sequence contained in each unique microarray feature is termed a “probe” and is derived from a speci c gene. The probe detects a speci c labeled target sequence derived from cellular messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) via complementary base pair hybridization.