Contents: Preface. 1. Slide coating and DNA immobilization chemistries/Kathryn Aboytes, Jason Humphreys, Sonya Reis and Brian Ward. 2. Diagnostic oligonucleotide microarrays for microbiology/Levente Bodrossy. 3. Printing technologies and microarray manufacturing techniques: making the perfect microarray/Todd Martinsky. 4. Arrays for the masses - Setting up a microarray core facility/Robert P. Searles. 5. Microarray data normalization: The art and science of overcoming technical variance to maximize the detection of biologic variance/Maureen A. Sartor, Mario Medvedovic and Bruce J. Aronow. 6. Experimental design and data analysis/Eric Blalock. 7. Microarray experiment design and statistical analysis/Xuejun Peng and Arnold J. Stromberg. 8. Strategies for clustering, classifying integrating, standardizing and visualizing microarray gene expression data/Willy Valdivia Granda. Index.

"Microarray technology is more accessible than ever, and an ever-widening field of scientists is using this technology. However, the manufacture, experimental design, and analysis of microarrays are not always straightforward, and researchers new to the field run into technical and theoretical roadblocks that can hinder progress with this powerful new technology.

A Beginner's Guide to Microarray addresses two audiences-the core facility manager who produces, hybridizes, and scans arrays, and the basic research scientist who will be performing the analysis and interpreting the results. Under friendly coverage and detailed protocols are provided for the technical steps and procedures involved in many facets of microarray technology, including:

Cleaning and coating glass slides
Designing oligonucleotide probes
Constructing arrays for the detection and quantification of different bacterial species
Preparing spotting solutions
Troubleshooting spotting problems
Setting up and running a core facility
Normalizing background signal and controlling for systematic variance
Designing experiments for maximum effect
Analyzing data with statistical procedures
Clustering data with machine-learning protocols

This book is addressed to researchers using microarrays for the first time. One faces a myriad of problems at the outset of such a task, and there is no need to 'reinvent the wheel' for each scientist that runs into these problems. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of microarrays before research begins can save time, money, and resources."