# What would a micro-array chip taste like?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 23, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381 "2009-12-23T22:31:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/1 "2009-12-23T22:31:55Z")

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[Microarrays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_microarray) are great for figuring out what pieces of a persons DNA code look like, but what do they taste like? If I were to open up an [affy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Affymetrix-microarray.jpg) chip and lick it would it be salty, or sour or metallic? Need answer fast!

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### Author: ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/2 "2009-12-24T01:03:46Z")

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It would probably taste like whatever material the chip is made of , plastic I guess. Don’t think there is enough DNA there to give it a different taste. I work with people who analyze microarray data so when I go back to work next month I will ask if any of them have tasted a chip. 🙂

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### Author: ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/3 "2009-12-24T02:50:21Z")

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Sour cream and onion.

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### Author: ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/4 "2009-12-24T03:54:31Z")

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It’s _PEOPLE!!_

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### Author: ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/5 "2009-12-24T04:11:42Z")

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If you lick the micro-array I would be asking it what you tasted like.

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### Author: ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/6 "2009-12-24T05:20:42Z")

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It didn’t fair well in Doritos test markets.

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### Author: ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-micro-array-chip-taste-like/522381/7 "2009-12-24T15:19:31Z")

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> [@WarmNPrickly](#):
>
> It didn’t fair well in Doritos test markets.

Expect the Mega-array to do better.