Patent ID: 7189509

Claim:
A method for analyzing gene expression profiles of a cell, which method comprises: a) providing isolated mRNA or cDNA target sequences from a cell, wherein the mRNA or cDNA sequences are unknown; b) directly immobilizing the mRNA or cDNA sequences on the surface of a microneedle, whereby the immobilization is via covalent binding, via non-covalent binding, via an interaction with an oligo-dT or oligo-dA that is covalently bound to the microneedle, via an interaction with an oligo-dT or oligo-dA that is covalently bound to the microneedle via a flexible spacer; via a flexible spacer; via crosslinking the immobilized mRNA or cDNA sequences to an oligo-dT or oligo-dA; or via crosslinking the immobilized mRNA or cDNA sequences to the microneedle; c) sequentially hybridizing in two or more cycles of hybridization said isolated mRNA or cDNA target sequences with a plurality of nucleotide probes, wherein the sequences of the probes are known and wherein each of the probes is in solution; and d) assessing the sequential hybridization between said isolated mRNA or cDNA target sequences and said plurality of nucleotide probes to analyze the expression profile of at least one gene of said cell.