title: Array data extractor (ADE): a LabVIEW program to extract and merge gene array data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Large data sets from gene expression array studies are publicly available offering information highly valuable for research across many disciplines ranging from fundamental to clinical research. Highly advanced bioinformatics tools have been made available to researchers, but a demand for user-friendly software allowing researchers to quickly extract expression information for multiple genes from multiple studies persists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we present a user-friendly LabVIEW program to automatically extract gene expression data for a list of genes from multiple normalized microarray datasets. Functionality was tested for 288 class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and expression data from 12 studies comparing normal and diseased human hearts. Results confirmed known regulation of a beta 1 adrenergic receptor and further indicate novel research targets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although existing software allows for complex data analyses, the LabVIEW based program presented here, "Array Data Extractor (ADE)", provides users with a tool to retrieve meaningful information from multiple normalized gene expression datasets in a fast and easy way. Further, the graphical programming language used in LabVIEW allows applying changes to the program without the need of advanced programming knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, Department of Psychology, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, York University, LSB 323A, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada. Stefan.Kurtenbach@me.com.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtenbach
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurtenbach
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zoidl
mesh_terms: D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis