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.
Microarray databases can fall into two distinct classes:
- 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 from NCBI or ArrayExpress from EBI.
- A specialized repository associated primarily with the brand of a particular entity, 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, 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,
- * 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.,
- * 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