可用來作為特殊的功能標(biāo)準(zhǔn)進(jìn)行測試的生物材料，在小空間有址可尋的排列在惰性材料上。生物材料可以是用于與已知序列的DNA和RNA雜交的DNA片段；或可用來分析并得到結(jié)構(gòu)/功能信息的蛋白質(zhì)或多肽。其它微點(diǎn)陣的用途包括從大量分子中篩選出能結(jié)合特定靶蛋白的分子。微點(diǎn)陣技術(shù)需要一個(gè)熒光、輻射或彩色讀出的測試步驟，具有一定分辨率的掃描儀對(duì)點(diǎn)陣表面的每一個(gè)有址可尋的點(diǎn)進(jìn)行分析。微點(diǎn)陣最大的優(yōu)點(diǎn)是能同時(shí)識(shí)別大量分子，而這些分子只需少量。（少至每個(gè)點(diǎn)一個(gè)分子）。DNA微點(diǎn)陣（DNA芯片）常規(guī)用于有治療或經(jīng)濟(jì)價(jià)值的基因功能、表達(dá)和變異的研究，而蛋白芯片用于研究蛋白組學(xué)應(yīng)用和蛋白--蛋白通道。小分子微輻射被用于大的組合文庫的超高度大規(guī)模篩選。

Small, spatially addressable arrays of biological material (on an inert substrate) that can be tested for specific functional criteria. The biological material could be DNA fragments probed for hybridization to a known sequence of DNA or RNA (useful for sequencing, expression studies, diagnostics); or proteins or peptides which can be analyzed to obtain structure/function information. Other uses of microarrays include the screening of large numbers of molecules for their capacity to bind a particular target protein. Microarray technology requires the testing or probing procedure to be “reported” by a fluorescent, radioactive or color readout, which can be analyzed by scanners with a resolution equivalent to each addressable point on the array surface. The greatest advantage of microarrays is their ability to simultaneously address large numbers of molecules - and that the molecules need only be present in small quantities (as few as a single molecule per array point). DNA microarrays (“DNA chips”) are being routinely used to probe the function, expression and variations in genes of therapeutic or economic interest, and protein chips are becoming available for studying proteomics applications and protein-protein pathways. Small molecule microarrays are being used in ultra high throughput screening of large combinatorial libraries (see microfluidics).