A dynamic, web-accessible resource to process raw microarray scan data into consolidated gene expression values: importance of replication

Nucleic Acids Res. 2004 Oct 8;32(18):5349-58. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkh870. Print 2004.

Abstract

We propose a freely accessible web-based pipeline, which processes raw microarray scan data to obtain experimentally consolidated gene expression values. The tool MADSCAN, which stands for MicroArray Data Suites of Computed ANalysis, makes a practical choice among the numerous methods available for filtering, normalizing and scaling of raw microarray expression data in a dynamic and automatic way. Different statistical methods have been adapted to extract reliable information from replicate gene spots as well as from replicate microarrays for each biological situation under study. A carefully constructed experimental design thus allows to detect outlying expression values and to identify statistically significant expression values, together with a list of quality controls with proposed threshold values. The integrated processing procedure described here, based on multiple measurements per gene, is decisive for reliably monitoring subtle gene expression changes typical for most biological events.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Gene Expression Profiling / methods*
  • Gene Expression Profiling / standards
  • Humans
  • Internet
  • Male
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / methods*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis / standards
  • Quality Control
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Software*