In which circumstance would microarrays most likely be used?
A) A biologist is interested in determining the effect of a particular SNP of a gene on flowering time of a plant.
B) A lab is studying a gene and its effects on mouse behavior; they want to know whether knocking out that gene alters food-seeking behavior.
C) A developmental biologist is examining genome-wide patterns of gene expression in different tissues of a fish in response to cold stress.
D) An evolutionary biologist is interested in whether genes that are on the X chromosome evolve faster than those that are autosomal.
E) A lab wants to make large quantities of a pharmaceutical drug using cows.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Microarrays are a useful tool for examining gene expression patterns in response to different experimental conditions. In this case, the developmental biologist is interested in examining genome-wide patterns of gene expression in response to cold stress, which is a perfect application for microarrays.

Answer: A
 Microarrays can also be used to investigate specific genetic variants (such as SNPs) and their effect on an organism's phenotype. Therefore, the biologist interested in determining the effect of a particular SNP of a gene on flowering time of a plant could use microarrays in their research.

Answer: B, D, and E
 Microarrays may not be the best choice in these scenarios. B refers to studying mouse behavior, which may require different approaches like behavioral assays. D refers to evolutionary biology, and although microarrays can be used in evolutionary studies, they are more suited for functional genomics. E refers to making large quantities of pharmaceutical drug using cows, which would require biotechnological tools specific to gene therapy and not genomics as in the case of microarrays.

In Which Circumstance Would Microarrays Most Likely Be Used