The Microarray Data Analysis Process
In the laboratory, a microarray gene expression experiment involves:
- obtaining samples (different tissue types, cells that have undergone various treatments, etc.)
- extracting RNA
- labeling the RNA (or reverse transcribed or in vitro transcribed copies of the RNAs) with fluorescent dyes
- hybridizing the labeled samples to gene microarrays, and
- scanning the hybridized slide in a fluorescent scanner to create an image.
From then on, analysis of the data is done on computers:
- The spots (or "Features") representing the various genes on the array ("Reporters") are measured using image analysis software. Average intensity, background intensity, and other parameters are recorded.
- Measurements from many array images are collected together.
- The collected data is analyzed to find genes with similar expression patterns, cell types with similar patterns, etc.
- The results are presented in some way that makes it easier to study them.
Yet another component of the CybertoryTM project