WebArrayDB: cross-platform microarray data analysis and public data repository

Motivation: Cross-platform microarray analysis is an increasingly important research tool, but researchers still lack open source tools for storing, integrating and analyzing large amounts of microarray data obtained from different array platforms. Results: An open source integrated microarray database and analysis suite, WebArrayDB (http://www.webarraydb.org), has been developed that features convenient uploading of data for storage in a MIAME ( Minimal Information about a Microarray Experiment) compliant fashion, and allows data to be mined with a large variety of R-based tools, including data analysis across multiple platforms. Different methods for probe alignment, normalization and statistical analysis are included to account for systematic bias. Student's t-test, moderated t-tests, non-parametric tests and analysis of variance or covariance (ANOVA/ANCOVA) are among the choices of algorithms for differential analysis of data. Users also have the. exibility to de. ne new factors and create new analysis models to fit complex experimental designs. All data can be queried or browsed through a web browser. The computations can be performed in parallel on symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems or Linux clusters.