Breakthrough in RNA Chip Technology: Faster, More Efficient RNA Microarrays

Researchers at the University of Vienna have published a new version of RNA building blocks that possess improved chemical reactivity and much higher sensitivity to light. These next-generation RNA chips with the potential to increase efficiency and speed of production are setting new milestones in biotechnology and medical research.

Studies on RNA conformation and function have achieved a high level of interest, particularly considering the popularity of RNA-based therapies and RNA based vaccines are gaining ground. Scientists from the University of Vienna focused light beams on the surface to activate a photochemical reaction with which the next RNA building block could attach at exactly that place. Using photolithography, they showed that high-density RNA chips were feasible. For the first time, the method was realised; however it suffered from extensive inefficiencies in time and stability.

While DNA microarray synthesis is currently well established, this technique has been difficult to adapt to RNA due to the labile nature of RNA and the chemical complexity of 2′-OH protection. However, these obstacles are presently being conquered, and RNA synthesis is about to join the rank of a crucial tool not only in research but also in diagnostics. High-throughput approaches have been widely used so far for the preparation of large nucleic acid libraries and parallel assays that give insight into genome expression and protein binding.

A Bright Future for RNA-based Technologies 

Recent developments in the RNA-based technologies have led to a new generation of highly chemically reactive and photosensitive RNA building blocks. Not only does this make production faster, but it significantly increases the efficiency of the RNA chips. Due to this improvement, RNA microarrays, crucial in biotechnological and medical research, would offer much faster and more accurate results , thereby making the sciences of molecular diagnostics potentially revolutionary.

The researchers at University of Vienna took RNA chip synthesis to the next level with advanced photolithography, reducing the production time considerably and increasing the efficiency. The reactivity and photosensitivity was increased by introducing a new RNA building block with the propionyloxymethyl (PrOM) protecting group. This enhanced and created high-density RNA chips at double the speed with yields sevenfold higher.

Transformative Potential of The New RNA Chips 

With the new technology of RNA chips, major gains in production efficiency have been realized, and high-throughput synthesis has opened a whole new prospect for both molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine. Large numbers of RNA sequences can be scanned fast and analyzed, opening a  whole new perspective toward non-invasive health monitoring and more precisely targeted drug development. These will not be minor adjustments but huge technological leaps that could alter the way we understand and relate to our biology, with healthcare in the future becoming more dynamic and individualised than ever.

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