CIIT is using innovative ways to extract important information from these data sets. Dr. Julia Kimbell of CIIT takes a researcher's data and creates a three-dimensional dynamic computer model that depicts changes as steep mountains in a colorful geography where the hotter hues indicate more intense gene expression. In most cases she can have a visual rendering back to the researcher in just a couple of hours. Analytical visualization of data from a 96 cell microarray. Peaks represent differences in gene expression levels between to data sets.
Colors depict intensity of gene expression.
Although there's tremendous excitement and optimism about the use of microarrays in toxicological research, Corton cautions that much research needs to be done before the data can be used in human risk assessment. We just don't know what the relationships are between gene expression and either beneficial or toxic outcomes after chemical exposure. If the experiments aren't performed correctly and properly interpreted, we may get fooled. Corton advocates carefully performed experiments in which gene expression changes can be tracked with both beneficial and toxic effects over a wide range of doses and exposure times for many chemicals. It will be especially important to use this new technique to obtain data on chemicals whose effects are well-known before moving to studies on new chemicals.