Fields of Research

The clinical use of microarrays is particularly interesting for the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. With the help of DNA arrays, the identification and genotyping of infectious pathogens as well as the determination of genetic markers for virulence and resistance can take place. Protein arrays can also be used in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. For example, the arrays detect antibodies to certain pathogens. In addition, infections activate the immune system differently, and these mechanisms can be studied with antibody arrays on a proteome-wide level. For each type of microarray, INTER-ARRAY is available as a development partner.

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise worldwide. They are one of the greatest challenges to global health of this time. They mean that infections caused by bacterial pathogens that were previously easy to treat can now only be treated with difficulty or not at all. INTER-ARRAY is engaged in the detection of antibiotic resistance based on microarrays, as they allow the simultaneous detection of a large number of parameters. Formats that can be used for the protein- or DNA-based arrays include microtiter plates, slides, strip tests, and lab-on-chip systems. This allows the occurrence and spread of specific strains to be traced. Chains of infection are detected and can be monitored.

In addition to general inflammatory parameters, autoimmune diagnostics includes targeted determination of autoantibodies. Autoantibodies play an important role in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases because of their versatile clinical relevance. Many studies have shown that an early and extensive autoantibody screening test is crucial for the timely detection, diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases. Due to the large number of examination parameters, the microarray is the best choice here. INTER-ARRAY produces assays for the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases on glass slides, microtiter plates and membranes.

All microarray platforms are suitable for allergy and food intolerance diagnostics. The platform with the fastest result is the lateral flow microarray, which delivers a test result within a few minutes. In these assays, various nanoparticles are used as colored labels to generate the test signals. The lateral flow microarray assay can detect many types of proteins, toxins, microorganisms and contaminants in multiparameter format. INTER-ARRAY dispenses the capture molecules to nitrocellulose and other membrane materials.

The microarray technique allows the classification and prognostic assessment of cancers based on gene expression. Specific gene expression profiles can be created for individual cancer types or risk groups. With this information, it is possible to improve the classification and prognosis estimation of tumor diseases. Another area of application is the prediction of the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. This is important for the individual therapy of tumor diseases. INTER-ARRAY produces appropriate DNA arrays for the diagnostic repertoire in cancer detection and treatment.

In veterinary medicine, the fields of application for microarrays are just as varied as in human medicine. Specific clinical examples of multi-parameter analysis include the determination of allergic and feed intolerances, vaccination status or antibodies to certain pathogens. Of particular interest in veterinary medicine is the aspect of the small sample volume required for the microarrays, which is especially relevant for small animals. INTER-ARRAY is part of fzmb GmbH, which operates a large and small animal clinic, so that there is an extensive expertise in veterinary medicine.

Using biochip technology, medical tests can be transferred from a specialized clinical laboratory directly to the treatment site. For physicians and nurses immediate access to medically relevant biochemical information is thus possible. With the help of microarrays several diagnostic parameters can be analyzed in parallel and the doctor receives a holistic statement about the condition of the patient. INTER-ARRAY develops microarrays for microfluidic lab-on-a-chip systems.

Biomarkers are considered appropriate tools for the early detection, therapeutic monitoring and prognostic evaluation of various diseases. Of particular interest is the use of protein microarrays for immune response profiling, through which a disease-specific antibody repertoire may be defined. The antigens and antibodies discovered by this work are useful for developing clinical tests that can be used for diagnosis, prognosis, disease severity and the right choice of therapy. The discovery of novel biomarkers for specific diseases should enable personalized medicine. INTER-ARRAY is specialized in the development of protein arrays.

The multiplex technology of INTER-ARRAY allows the simultaneous identification and titration of antibody pairs on the same plate using very small amounts of antibodies. INTER-ARRAY manufactures custom microarrays on microtiter plates for antibody projects, so every customer has the option to use multiplex technology for high-throughput screening of a large number of antibodies to select the best pairs for their immunoassays. By simultaneously varying of experimental conditions, such as buffer compositions or incubation times, essential parameters for the later test can be evaluated in advance.

By using carefully selected antibody panels in a microarray, organisms can be serotyped. This is based on the fact that specific antibodies are able to detect even slight antigenic differences between microorganisms. Based on extensive experience with Legionella analysis methods, INTER-ARRAY has succeeded in developing a clear serotyping of Legionella colonies based on a microarray. Antibodies for all Legionella serogroups are available.