Software
arrayCGHbase: an analysis platform for comparative genomic hybridization microarrays
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* Corresponding author: Jo Vandesompele joke.vandesompele@ugent.be
1 Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
2 Department of Electrotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 10, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium
3 Center for Human Genetics, Leuven University Hospital, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
4 Hogeschool Gent, Vesalius Department of Health Care, Keramiekstraat 80, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
BMC Bioinformatics 2005, 6:124 doi:10.1186/1471-2105-6-124
Published: 23 May 2005Abstract
Background
The availability of the human genome sequence as well as the large number of physically accessible oligonucleotides, cDNA, and BAC clones across the entire genome has triggered and accelerated the use of several platforms for analysis of DNA copy number changes, amongst others microarray comparative genomic hybridization (arrayCGH). One of the challenges inherent to this new technology is the management and analysis of large numbers of data points generated in each individual experiment.
Results
We have developed arrayCGHbase, a comprehensive analysis platform for arrayCGH experiments consisting of a MIAME (Minimal Information About a Microarray Experiment) supportive database using MySQL underlying a data mining web tool, to store, analyze, interpret, compare, and visualize arrayCGH results in a uniform and user-friendly format. Following its flexible design, arrayCGHbase is compatible with all existing and forthcoming arrayCGH platforms. Data can be exported in a multitude of formats, including BED files to map copy number information on the genome using the Ensembl or UCSC genome browser.
Conclusion
ArrayCGHbase is a web based and platform independent arrayCGH data analysis tool, that allows users to access the analysis suite through the internet or a local intranet after installation on a private server. ArrayCGHbase is available at http://medgen.ugent.be/arrayCGHbase/ webcite.