Gene Expression: Research effort seeks A's to gene expression Q's

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Research effort seeks A's to gene expression Q's

11 Nov 2004 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=16216

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a

new $6.25 million, five-year program to explore and address challenges

in measurement, validation and quality control for the rapidly growing

field of gene expression profiling.

Enormous quantities of gene-sequence data are pouring out of labs thanks

to dramatic gains in DNA sequencing technology, but that's only a start.

The real question is how genetic information translates into biological

activity. Gene expression---the complex process by which some genes are

turned on, others off---is an essential part of the functioning of an

organism. It also can indicate, or be a factor in, many diseases. The

mechanisms of gene regulation are poorly understood---recent research,

for example, suggests that a great deal of gene regulation information

may be encoded in long stretches of DNA previously written off as

" junk. "

Gene expression measurements impact everything from basic bioresearch to

drug development and clinical diagnostics. The most powerful tool for

studying gene expression is the microarray, a device that uses many

thousands of DNA probes to make massively parallel measurements of gene

activity. But the technology is beset by large uncertainties and

unexplained variability in measurement. One experiment using three

different microarray systems to measure the same sample found that under

the most stringent criteria the three agreed on only four out of 275

genes identified.

NIST's multidisciplinary Metrology for Gene Expression Program seeks to

improve the quality, reliability and comparability of gene expression

measurements with microarrays. Working with instrument developers and

users, the program will evaluate sources of error and variability in

measurement, and will develop reference data, reference materials and

measurement methods to enable quality assurance for the chemistry,

detection methods and information processing used in microarray

analysis.

A key partnership that helped inspire the program is the External RNA

Control Consortium, a group of almost 50 organizations from industry,

academic labs, federal agencies and other key stakeholders.