1. Do we need this technology? Why? (If your answer is No, please discuss on problem no.6)

Yes, we do. The DNA microarray technology can be used to study gene expression, genotyping ,gene mapping and also functional analysis.Its great potential is that it allows the simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes, rather than a comparison of only ten to twenty as the other technics. According to its great advance in many fields this technologywill become a basic technique which will be able to apply in laboratories of many fields such as in medicine, agriculture and public health.

2. Which field that you think is the top priority to use this technology? Why?

I think medicine is the top priority field to use the microarray technology. In order to understand the pathogenesis of the diseases,relationship between disease susceptibility and mechanism of disease,gene regulation and diseases, we have to answer many research questions and this technology will be a very useful tool to find the answers (as describe in problem no. 1). The knowledge from those research will support development in diagnosis, therapy and prevention (there is still some ethical problem in this field). Thus using this technology in medicine will do a great benefit for human being in saving life and also provide a happy life by prevention of illness throuout the life time.

3. What is (are) the main problem(s) or requirement(s) to implement this technology in Thailand?

The main problems are the high cost of this technology and lack of personnel and technology.

4. How such problem (s) and/or requeriment (s) can be solved ?

Group of expert persons who is intersted and desire to set this technology in their laboratory should be selected as a pioneer group. These persons should be trained in technology about DNA microarray and Bioinformatics (don't forget to provide them an available good system of internet travel) so they can manage to get their information and process their data with high

efficiency to set this tecnique in their laboratory. After cooperatively work and sharing their result,The next step is to apply cheaper system in arrayer, scanner and software which have lower cost instead (such as develope ink jet printer to be able to use as an arrayer, develope system to reuse DNA chip). This group will function as a data resource for other interested person and should be able to set publically data sharing. By this way we will have more personnel in this feild with cheaper DNA microarray sysytem.

5. Is it possible for Thailand to be the competitive leader in this technology?

We can be the competitive leader in this technology if we have a group of persons as in problem no4. By the advantage in good resource of diseases provided such as tropical diseases or some genetic disease (thalassemia). These persons can be the competitive leader to develope DNA miroarray slide for those diseases.
 

Please cite the appropriate references in your discussion

1. Kathreena MK,Christine JW, Andrew HW. DNA chip technology. J. Pathol. 1999; 187: 267-271

2. Javed K, Michael LB, Yidong C, Paul SM, Jeffrey MT. DNA microarray technology: the antiicipated impact on the study of human disease.Biochimmica et Biophysica Acta 1999; 1423 : M17-M28