title: Expert system for data acquisition to achieve a constant signal-to-noise ratio: application to imaging of DNA sequencing gels.
abstract: Normally, data acquisition and processing in chemical measurements are based on equal time (effort) for each data point. This leads to uneven signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) for each point. We present an expert system which decides in real time whether adequate S/N has been achieved for each point. If so, that data point will be omitted in all further acquisition or processing operations, greatly increasing the overall efficiency. The special case of analyzing DNA sequencing gels is tested with this scheme. A factor of 7.6 reduction in effort is demonstrated for a data set of 384 x 250 pixels, which normally would require 6 million sequential operations (64 frames).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Koutny
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D005103:Expert Systems
chemical_list: D004247:DNA