Fig. 1. Sample fractionation, chip binding, and reading in protein chip array profiling technique. Serum samples from SARS patients and various control groups were fractionated in Q Ceramic Hyper D F anion exchange sorbent beads. The eluted fractions were in turn spotted onto two types of protein chips, namely, copper IMAC30 Cu(II) ProteinChip array and weak cation-exchange (CM10) ProteinChip array. Each sample bound protein chip was in turn inserted into a Protein Biology System II SELDI-TOF-mass spectrometer and the protein biomarkers were ionized and desorbed by laser beam. The ions flied to the ion detector generating a biomarker peak intensity spectrum according to their mass over charge values (m/z).