Microarray Databases
Microarray Databases
A microarray database is a repository containing microarray gene expression data. The key uses of a
microarray database are to store the measurement data, manage a searchable index, and make the data
available to other applications for analysis and interpretation (either directly, or via user downloads).
1. A peer reviewed, public repository that adheres to academic or industry standards and is
designed to be used by many analysis applications and groups. A good example of this is
the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) from NCBI or ArrayExpress from EBI.
2. A specialized repository associated primarily with the brand of a particular entity (lab,
company, university, consortium, group), an application suite, a topic, or an analysis method,
whether it is commercial, non-profit, or academic. These databases might have one or more
of the following characteristics:
A subscription or license may be needed to gain full access,
The content may come primarily from a specific group (e.g. SMD, or UPSC-BASE), the
Immunological Genome Project
There may be constraints on who can use the data or for what purpose data can be
used,
Special permission may be required to submit new data, or there may be no obvious
process at all,
Only certain applications may be equipped to use the data, often also associated with
the same entity (for example, caArray at NCI is specialized for the caBIG),
Further processing or reformatting of the data may be required for standard applications
or analysis,
They claim to address the 'urgent need' to have a standard, centralized repository for
microarray data. (See YMD, last updated in 2003, for example),
There is a claim to an incremental improvement over one of the public repositories,
A meta-analysis application, which incorporates studies from one or more public
databases (e.g. Gemma primarily uses GEO studies; NextBio uses various sources)
The Cancer
collection of expression data for different August 30,
Genome Atlas 21229 ?
cancers 2013
(TCGA)
Open access standard arrays, exons
GeneNetwork
arrays, and RNA-seq data for genetic ~100 ~10000 July, 2010
system
analysis (eQTL studies) with analysis suite
See also
Biological database
List of biological databases
DNA microarray
DNA microarray#Data warehousing
Microarray analysis techniques
External links
ArrayExpress: Quick Tour on EBI Train OnLine (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/a
rrayexpress-quick-tour)
Exploring functional genomics data with the ArrayExpress Archive on EBI Train OnLine (htt
p://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/arrayexpress-exploring-functional-genomics-data-a
r)
Investigating gene expression patterns with the Gene Expression Atlas on EBI Train OnLine
(http://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/course/arrayexpress-investigating-gene-expression-patt
ern-0)
ArrayExpress:Submitting data using MAGE-TAB on EBI Train OnLine (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/t
raining/online/course/arrayexpress-submitting-data-using-mage-tab)
ArrayExplorer (http://www.arrayexplorer.com) - A free tool to compare microarrays side by
side.