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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: Wiley Interdiscip Rev RNA. 2012 May 7;3(5):601–616. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1120

Table 1. Influential Factors in Choosing a MicroRNA Platform.

The three major profiling methods and the requirements for performing each are shown. Factors such as runtime, sample input, detection of the dynamic range and issues with analysis are characterized for each method.

Profiling
Method		 Time Sample Input Cost Dynamic Range Applications Analysis
qPCR/
Microfluidics 		≤ 6 hours 500ng/10ng ≤ $400 6 orders of
magnitude; use
of spike-ins of
known
concentration to
detect sample
range		 High-throughput
profiling of known
miRs , easy
automation; qPCR
great for
confirmatory assay		 Normalization
to reference
gene expression
Microarray ~2 days 100ng-1μg ~$300 4 orders of
magnitude		 Profiling known
miRs across
samples		 Normalization
to reference
gene expression
NextGen
Sequencing 		1-2 weeks 500ng-5μg $1000+ 5+ orders of
magnitude		 Different
sequencing
platforms;
profiling, miR
discovery and
diversity		 Potentially large
investment in
bioinformatic
analysis, time
and personnel