microarray

Definition

Microarray is a high-throughput technology that simultaneously measures the expression levels of thousands of genes in a biological sample. It consists of an array of DNA probes fixed to a solid surface, where fluorescently labeled cDNA or cRNA from samples hybridizes to complementary sequences. The fluorescence intensity at each probe location indicates relative gene expression. Microarrays revolutionized transcriptomics by enabling genome-wide expression profiling, identifying differentially expressed genes across conditions, and discovering disease biomarkers. While largely superseded by RNA-seq for many applications, microarrays remain valuable for cost-effective screening, clinical diagnostics, and large-scale population studies where standardized platforms and extensive historical data provide advantages.

Visualize microarray in Nodes Bio

Researchers can import microarray expression data into Nodes Bio to construct gene co-expression networks, where nodes represent genes and edges indicate correlated expression patterns. These networks reveal functional modules, regulatory relationships, and hub genes. Integration with protein-protein interaction data enables identification of key regulatory pathways affected by experimental conditions, while pathway enrichment analysis highlights biological processes driving observed expression changes.

Example Use Case

A cancer research team uses microarray analysis to compare gene expression between drug-resistant and drug-sensitive tumor samples from 100 patients. They identify 500 differentially expressed genes and import this data into Nodes Bio to construct a co-expression network. The visualization reveals three distinct gene modules associated with resistance mechanisms: drug efflux pumps, DNA repair pathways, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. By overlaying protein interaction data, they identify transcription factors regulating these modules as potential therapeutic targets to overcome resistance.

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