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Microarray databases: standards and ontologies

Nature Genetics volume 32, pages 469–473 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

A single microarray can provide information on the expression of tens of thousands of genes. The amount of information generated by a microarray-based experiment is sufficiently large that no single study can be expected to mine each nugget of scientific information. As a consequence, the scale and complexity of microarray experiments require that computer software programs do much of the data processing, storage, visualization, analysis and transfer. The adoption of common standards and ontologies for the management and sharing of microarray data is essential and will provide immediate benefit to the research community.

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Figure 1: Information storage and transfer of data for a microarray experiment.

Katie Ris

Figure 2: Relationships among the different MGED initiatives.

Katie Ris

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Acknowledgements

We thank A. Brazma, H. Parkinson and S. Sansone for critically reading the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Bioinformatics and Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, 19104-6021, Pennsylvania, USA

    Christian J. Stoeckert Jr

  2. Clinical Sciences Centre/Imperial College Microarray Centre, Imperial College, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 ONN, UK

    Helen C. Causton

  3. Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, 94305-5120, California, USA

    Catherine A. Ball

Authors
  1. Christian J. Stoeckert Jr
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  2. Helen C. Causton
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  3. Catherine A. Ball
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Correspondence to Christian J. Stoeckert Jr.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Stoeckert, C., Causton, H. & Ball, C. Microarray databases: standards and ontologies. Nat Genet 32 (Suppl 4), 469–473 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1028

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