Abstract

Exciting advances in fluorescence in situ hybridization and array-based techniques are changing the nature of cytogenetics, in both basic research and molecular diagnostics. Cytogenetic analysis now extends beyond the simple description of the chromosomal status of a genome and allows the study of fundamental biological questions, such as the nature of inherited syndromes, the genomic changes that are involved in tumorigenesis and the three-dimensional organization of the human genome. The high resolution that is achieved by these techniques, particularly by microarray technologies such as array comparative genomic hybridization, is blurring the traditional distinction between cytogenetics and molecular biology.

Author affiliations

1. Institut für Humangenetik, Technische Universität München, Trogerstrasse 32, D-81675 München and GSF-Nationales Forschungszentrum für Umwelt und Gesundheit, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
2. The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.

Correspondence to: Michael R. Speicher¹ Email: speicher@humangenetik.med.tu-muenchen.de

Published online 6 September 2005

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.