Abstract
People are exposed to many chemicals in the course of day-to-day life. Measurement of the exposure of the environment and its inhabitants to pollutants is a useful estimate of the toxic effects of environmental pollution on health. The microarray is a sensitive and precise device which can be used to obtain this information from complex biological samples. Microarrays can thus be used to assess the "health" of the environment or an individual person. The use of microarrays allows complex, automated, high-throughput processes to be performed in small devices. The "immunochip" is a one of the formats of protein microchip based on the molecular specific immunological recognition of antigens (Ags) by antibodies (Abs) immobilized on a certain surface that together respond in a concentration-dependent manner. Recent work from our laboratory demonstrated that immunochip technology can simultaneously detect at least five different chemicals. This chapter discusses the various types of immunochips available and their application in personal toxicity testing. The definition, main features, and probes of "conventional" immunochips, "Lab-on a chip" and "suspension arrays" are included. "Lab-on a chip" integrates several laboratory processes including preparation, incubation, detection and analysis on a single microchip. This eliminates the need for several different pieces of laboratory equipment to prepare and analyze a biological sample. The "high-throughput suspension" array is a novel method for multi-analysis of veterinary drugs. It is easy to use, very sensitive and inexpensive. However, immunochips are difficult to use in the field. A high-quality Ab with good bioactivity and specificity is the key reagent in the production of immunochips. Although further investigation is required, the potential advantages of immunochip technology for the detection of chemicals for environmental assessments are of great interest.