{{No footnotes, date=October 2017 Silverquant is a labeling and detection method for DNA microarrays or protein microarrays. A synonym is colorimetric detection. In contrast to the classical signal detection on microarrays by using

fluorescence Fluorescence is one of two kinds of photoluminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, many substances will glow (fluoresce) with colore ...

, the colorimetric detection is more sensitive and ozone-stable.

Chemical reaction

The probe to be detected is labeled with some

biotin Biotin (also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H) is one of the B vitamins. It is involved in a wide range of metabolic processes, both in humans and in other organisms, primarily related to the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids. ...

-molecules. After incubation with a gold-coupled anti-biotin conjugate,

silver nitrate Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides. It was once called ''lunar causti ...

and a reducing agent are added. The reaction starts whereas the gold particle serves as a starting point for the silver precipitation. The reaction needs to be stopped after a specific time. The constant reaction time is essential to obtain comparable results.

Detection

The silver-stained spots on the microarray are clearly visible. By using a transmission microarray scanner, the signals are transformed into digital values which are finally available as an image file.

References

Alexandre I et al. Anal Biochem. 2001 Aug 1;295(1):1-8. Gene expression Bioinformatics DNA Microarrays