Integrated Genetic Analysis Microsystems

The advent of integrated microsystems for genetic analysis allows the acquisition of information at unprecedented length and time scales. The convergence of molecular biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science is required for their design and construction. The utility of the microsystems originates from increased analysis speed, lower analysis cost, and higher parallelism leading to increased assay throughput. In addition, when fully integrated, this technology will enable portable systems for high-speed in situ analyses, permitting a new standard in disciplines such as clinical chemistry, personalized medicine, forensics, biowarfare detection, and epidemiology. This article presents an overview of the recent history of integrated genetic analysis microsystems with an emphasis on materials aspects, and provides a perspective on current developments and future prospects.