Dry microarrays: a generalized data source for genome and proteome analysis

Microarray analysis methods can be applied to characteristic data obtained from biological sequences in matrix form (which could include data from experiments or bioassays as well). The rows correspond to a genome region (intron or exon) or a protein, the columns to data obtained from the genome or proteins under selected conditions. In such a dry microarray, tasks like protein classification and construction of gene networks are aided by the use of various clustering methods applied to the heterogeneous data matrix. These methods, suitably modified, can also be used for simultaneous multiple alignment of all the sequences instead of pairwise or over small numbers of sequences at a time (as is the current practice). The feasibility of the concept is shown with results obtained from the construction and analysis of a dry microarray for protein classification.