DNA Microarrays and Gene Expression

Massive data acquisition technologies--such as genome sequencing, high-throughput drug screening, and DNA arrays--are in the process of revolutionizing biology and medicine. This concise, user-friendly and interdisciplinary guide to DNA microarray technology is an introduction and a reference for both biologists and computational scientists. The authors describe the underlying technologies and offer an awareness of the "noise" and pitfalls present in the data generated. They also provide an idea of the different data mining techniques and algorithms that are available to interpret data, and the advantages and disadvantages of each in differing situations.

DNA microarrays are in the process of revolutionizing biology and medicine. They can provide a snapshot of the level of expression of all the genes in the cell. Such snapshots can be used to study development and evolution, to determine the function of new genes, to infer the role genes may play in diseases, and to monitor the effect of drugs and other compounds on gene expression. This inter-disciplinary introduction to DNA arrays will be essential reading for all researchers wanting to take advantage of this powerful new technology.