In reality, there are over 80,000 different probes used to detect 33 species of animals on every Food Expert-ID microarray. The resulting picture is complex, but when zoomed in on, we can see the different levels of fluorescence coming from the individual squares or probe locations. Some probes measure the presence of animal DNA (strong intensity, white and red features) and some do not (weak intensity, blue and black features).

By analyzing images like this, scientists can determine what animals are present in their samples. If the probes for goose DNA light up, the results are clear and simple — goose is present in the sample. If they do not light up, the results are equally clear — no goose is present.