The 60K Rice Whole Oligomeric DNA Microarray representing rice whole genome has been developed by GreenGene BioTech Inc. (GGB), a bio-venture company (Dr. Baek Hie Nahm, Myongji University) expertised in rice functional genomics research, with the collaboration of Dr. Minkyun Kim, Seoul National University, and Dr. David W. Galbraith, University of Arizona. The development of Rice 60K Microarray is supported by the Crop Functional Genome Center led by Dr. Yangdo Choi, Seoul National University, a Frontier Research Foundation sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Engineering of Korea.
   The Rice 60K Microarray is the most powerful analysis tool for the massive analysis of gene expression in rice. The expression of entire genes in rice genome can be monitored with a single experiment by the Rice 60K Microarray. The speed of analysis will be accelerated at least 10,000 times faster than the conventional analysis method.
   The Rice 60K Microarray contains 64,896 spots mounted onto two slides, and each slide containing 32,448 spots is formatted with 48 blocks of 12 rows and 4 columns. Each block is printed with 676 (26x26) spots with average diameter of 100 um. The Rice 60K Microarray is printed with 60,727 oligomers for 58,417 known and predicted genes from the rice genome sequences with 2,310 alternative oligomers for well-known genes as positive controls, and with 66 randomized DNA and 4,099 blank spots for negative controls. Each oligomer of 70 nucleotides with average Tm of 78¡ÆC was designed from the gene-specific region covering entire genomes of rice.
   The massive analysis of gene expression at genome level with the Rice 60K Microarray will accelerate the rice research not only for the understanding of gene network, but also for the development of new varieties with novel agronomic traits for future environmental agriculture.
   The Rice 60K Microarray is currently available from GGB for worldwide pioneering collaborative rice research with the minimal cost.