Microarrays: handling the deluge of data and extracting reliable information

Application of powerful, high-throughput genomics technologies is becoming more common and these technologies are evolving at a rapid pace. Genomics f acilities are being established in major research institutions to produce i nexpensive, customized cDNA microarrays that are accessible to researchers in a broad range of fields. These high-throughput platforms have generated a massive onslaught of data, which threatens to overwhelm researchers. Alth ough microarrays show great promise, the technology has not matured to the point of consistently generating robust and reliable data when used in the average laboratory. This article addresses several aspects related to the h andling of the deluge of microarray data and extracting reliable informatio n from these data. We review the essential elements of data acquisition, da ta processing and data analysis, and briefly discuss issues related to the quality, validation and storage of data. Our goal is to point out some of t he problems that must be overcome before this promising technology can achi eve its full potential.