Functional genomics-the deconstruction of the genome to determine the biological function of genes and gene interactions-is one of the most fruitful new areas of biology. The growing use of DNA microarrays allows researchers to assess the expression of tens of thousands of genes at a time. This quantitative change has led to qualitative progress in our ability to understand regulatory processes at the cellular level.
This book provides a systematic introduction to the use of DNA microarrays as an investigative tool. The presentation is appropriate for readers from biology or bioinformatics. After presenting a framework for the design of microarray-driven functional genomics experiments, the book discusses the foundations for analyzing microarray data sets, genomic data-mining, the creation of standardized nomenclature and data models, clinical applications of functional genomics research, and the future of functional genomics.