Abstract
Abstract This thesis contains three main parts. In the first part we provide the introduction to cDNA microarray system. We also detail the testing data and applied theory of either hardware or software and each step of experimental procedures. In the second part we will introduce our related research about the optimization of cDNA microarray system in our lab including tests of probe DNA purification, tests of fluorescence labeled total RNA reverse transcription, tests of observing conditions of hybridization fluorescent targets by utilizing GAPDH gene. And we explore the cycling signals of analyzed images after hybridization. The key point in this part of research is to find out the important related parameters of our cDNA microarray system as the references for following studies. The third part is on utilizing cDNA microarray system to observe gene performance of Apoptosis. We let the Jurkat cells be irradiated by gamma rays for 20Gy and extract the total RNA of Jurkat cells at five time points 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 hours respectively after being irradiated and they are labeled two kinds of dyes, Cy3 and Cy5 individually via reverse transcription. These labeled RNA hybridize with 300 points of apoptosis genes arranged in order on the slide. We observe the gene expression of these nine kinds of genes at five different time points via using statistical method to analyze the corresponding fluorescent intensity read out from confocal laser scanning system.Keyword: cDNA microarray, reverse transcription, Jurkat cell, gene expression, apoptosis.