CombiMatrix
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CombiMatrix Corp. NASDAQ: CBMX is a company that, among other things, makes DNA microarrays using electrochemistry on arrays of microelectrodes. The arrays are built on semiconductor chips.
The DNA strands that are built on a DNA array (the "probes") are dependent on use. If a user wants to look at one set of genes, he will use a particular set of probes. To look at another set of genes, he will use a different set of probes. To look at splice variants or single nucleotide polymorphisms, yet different sets of probes will be used. The set of particular probes built on a DNA array is sometimes called the "content" on the array.
The CombiMatrix method controls the building of DNA on its semiconductor chips by turning on and off electrodes, controlled by software. The process is intended to facilitate manufacture of custom DNA arrays, where users want the ability to do some experiments, change content, do some more experiments, change the content again, and so on. The arrays are built on demand as opposed to having fixed-content arrays that are stocked. Thus, users can order hundreds of the same content, or they can change content every order. This is in contrast to manufacturers of DNA arrays for whom rapid changes in content result in increased manufacturing costs and time and who are geared more toward sales of a fixed catalog of DNA arrays.
