phylochip-hand copy
Manufactured by Affymetrix Corporation ®, the latest version of the Phylochip designed in conjunction with Lawrence Berkeley Lab (LBNL) staff can detect up to 32,000 unique versions of the 16s RNA gene, which is found in all bacteria. The Phylochip is a microarray that uses genetic probes on the chip to match gene sequences in the water sample. This technology has several advantages - there are multiple levels of error checking built into the system and the phylochip can detect bacteria that would not grow in a traditional bacterial culture method, which can be up to 99% of the bacteria in a sample.

The LBNL researchers have used this technology to discover that there is a surprisingly larger diversity of bacteria found in the air. It was originally developed for the federal BioWatch program to warn of a release of dangerous airborne microorganisms by terrorists.

For more information on bacteria in the air, click here

To see a diagram illustrating the biodiversity in the air revealed by the phylochip, click here

NEWS: The Wall Street Journal has awarded the PhyloChip it’s prestigious Technology Innovation Prize from over 700 entrants. The microarray won the top prize in the Environmental Category and the 3rd top overall. More details can be found at Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (click the names to visit the linked pages).