| Nature of analytes | Number of analytes | Detected abnormalities |
Genomics | | | |
Global genome sequencing | Genomic DNA | Unlimited | Mutations |
CGH arrays | Sequences of genomic DNA (bacterial artificial chromosomes, PCR products or cloned cDNA) | Up to 2 million probes | Copy number alterations |
SNP arrays | Oligonucleotides (sequences of 25 bases characteristic of a gene) | Up to 2 million probes | Polymorphisms, loss of heterozygosity, copy number alterations |
Epigenomics | | | |
DNA methylation arrays | Oligonucleotides covering whole genome or CpG islands +/- promoters | Up to 385000 probes | DNA hyper- or hypo-methylation |
Transcriptomics | | | |
Gene expression arrays | Oligonucleotides or cDNA | Up to 385000 probes | Modification of gene expression levels |
miRNA expression arrays | Oligonucleotides (sequences of 8 to 9 bases) | Up to 1300 probes | Modification of miRNA levels |
Proteomics | | | |
Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis | Proteins, peptides | 100–1000 proteins | Modification of proteins relative abundance and activity |
MALDI-TOF MS | Proteins, peptides | 100–300 features | |
Tandem MS | Peptide sequences | 500–5000 proteins |
Protein arrays | Lysates, proteins, peptides | Hundreds of probes |
Tissue microarrays | Tissue biopsies | Hundreds of tissue specimens |