BRB ArrayTools is an integrated package for the visualization and statistical analysis of DNA microarray gene expression data. It was developed by professional statisticians experienced in the analysis of microarray data and involved in the development of improved methods for the design and analysis of microarray based experiments. The array tools package utilizes an Excel front end. Scientists are familiar with Excel and utilizing Excel as the front end makes the system portable and not tied to any database. The input data is assumed to be in the form of Excel spreadsheets describing the expression values and a spreadsheet providing user-specified phenotypes for the samples arrayed. The analytic and visualization tools are integrated into Excel as an add-in. The analytic and visualization tools themselves are developed in the powerful R statistical system, in C and Fortran programs and in Java applications. Visual Basic for Applications is the glue that integrates the components and hides the complexity of the analytic methods from the user. The system incorporates a variety of powerful analytic and visualization tools developed specifically for microarray data analysis.
