The FluChip is a low-density DNA microarray

DNA microarray

A DNA microarray is a collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. Scientists use DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously or to genotype multiple regions of a genome...

 for the identification of influenza

Influenza

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...

 viruses, originally developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Colorado at Boulder

The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...

 in the laboratory of Professor Kathy Rowlen in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...

 (CDC) in Atlanta.

The project was funded in 2003 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health , an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services...

 (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...

.
The original FluChip
was designed to detect both influenza A and B viruses utilizing three gene targets: the HA (Hemagglutinin

Hemagglutinin

Influenza hemagglutinin or haemagglutinin is a type of hemagglutinin found on the surface of the influenza viruses. It is an antigenic glycoprotein. It is responsible for binding the virus to the cell that is being infected...

), NA (Neuraminidase

Neuraminidase

Neuraminidase enzymes are glycoside hydrolase enzymes that cleave the glycosidic linkages of neuraminic acids. Neuraminidase enzymes are a large family, found in a range of organisms. The most commonly known neuraminidase is the viral neuraminidase, a drug target for the prevention of the spread...

), and M (matrix) gene segments. Numerous short DNA capture sequences were designed
, and used to both type and subtype influenza A viruses by taking advantage of genetic similarities and differences. The overall assay consisted of RT-PCR amplification of influenza RNA, subsequent runoff transcription using the PCR product as template, and hybridization of fluorescently-labeled fragmented RNA

RNA

Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....

 to the microarray surface. The overall pattern of fluorescence intensities were utilized to type and subtype the influenza virus(es) present.

MChip

When it was discovered that the M gene segment alone contained enough genetic diversity between subtypes to provide subtype information, subsequent work focused on exploring this as a subtyping assay for influenza A (‘MChip’). MChip was utilized to examine hundreds of specimens, focusing on the ability to discriminate human H1N1, human H3N2, and avian influenza (H5N1) subtypes, and resulted in high clinical sensitivity and specificity as detailed in several published studies.
Other influenza A viruses of interest that have been recently examined with MChip are the 1918 ‘Spanish Flu

Spanish flu

The 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...

’ strain,

and a variety of pandemic H1N1/09 virus

Pandemic H1N1/09 virus

The Pandemic H1N1/09 virus is a swine origin Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 virus strain responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. For other names see the Nomenclature section below.-Virus characteristics:...

 specimens.

InDevR

InDevR

InDevR is a biotechnology company that develops advanced life science instrumentation and assays for analysis of viruses and other microorganisms, with product focus on Virus Quantification and pathogen detection / identification. InDevR Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned small business located...

Inc. (Boulder, CO) licensed the FluChip technology from the University of Colorado and CDC in 2009,

and is developing the application for use in a forthcoming molecular diagnostics platform.