Statistical design and the analysis of gene expression microarray data

Gene expression microarrays are an innovative technology with enormous prom ise to help geneticists explore and understand the genome. Although the pot ential of this technology has been clearly demonstrated, many important and interesting statistical questions persist. We relate certain features of m icroarrays to other kinds of experimental data and argue that classical sta tistical techniques are appropriate and useful. We advocate greater attenti on to experimental design issues and a more prominent role for the ideas of statistical inference in microarray studies.