FlexArrayer Technology

The FlexArrayer is an easy to use, robust instrument provided with high quality software for array design and production. The FlexArrayer uses a 375 nm wavelength laser to direct the synthesis of oligonucleotides on the microarray.

The positioning of the laser is controlled by a set of mirrors that can direct the laser anywhere on the surface of the microarray. This provides complete freedom in final feature size, shape and positioning. In summary, the microarray production process works as follows; before oligonucleotidesynthesis, the complete microarraysurface is covered by photolabile groups.

Those spots (here depicted with one sequence per spot) where next nucleotide addition is to occur are activated by the 375 nm laser and the next to be added nucleotide is washed over the microarray surface and chemically binds to the activated spots.

All nucleotides contain a photolabile group that can in turn be activated. As many rounds of photoactivation and nucleotide addition are performed as are required to synthesize oligonucleotides of the desired length.