High-throughput analysis of gene expression on tissue sections by in situ hybridization

Genome-scale sequencing projects, high-throughput RNAi screens, systematic gene targeting, and system-biology-based network predictions all depend on a validation of biological significance in order to understand the relevance of a particular finding. Such validation, for the most part, rests on low-throughput technologies. This article provides protocols that, in combination with suitable instrumentation, make possible a semi-automated analysis of gene expression on tissue sections by means of in situ hybridization. Knowledge of gene expression localization has the potential to aid, and thereby accelerate, the validation of gene functions.