Cost-efficiency considerations in the choice of a microarray platform for time course experimental designs

• Published in: Computational statistics & data analysis Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 944 - 954
• Main Authors: Lima Passos, Valéria, Tan, Frans E.S., Berger, Martijn P.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 2011; Elsevier
• Series: Computational Statistics & Data Analysis
• Subjects: Added value; Adjustment; Arrays; Data processing; Design engineering; Errors; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental design; General topics; Mathematics; Microarray cost-efficiency; Multivariate analysis; Numerical analysis; Numerical analysis. Scientific computation; Numerical methods in probability and statistics; One- and two-colour microarray designs; One- and two-colour microarray designs Microarray cost-efficiency Time course experiment Random intercept model Platform comparison; Platform comparison; Platforms; Probability and statistics; Random intercept model; Sciences and techniques of general use; Statistics; Time course experiment; Random intercept model; One- and two-colour microarray designs; Microarray cost-efficiency; Platform comparison; Time course experiment; Rank statistic; Data analysis; Covariance analysis; Microarray; Variance analysis; Variance; Parametric method; Statistical regression; Selection problem; Statistical computation; Experimental design; Price; Relative error; Cost analysis
• ISSN: 0167-9473; 1872-7352
• DOI: 10.1016/j.csda.2010.04.030

Customarily, the choice between one- or two-colour microarray platforms is based on their respective practical and technical merits, contingent on objectives and constraints of the study at stake. Statistical efficiency, if accounted for, plays a secondary role. A cost-efficiency comparison of the one- and two-colour designs for a 2×4 time course experiment was conducted. It is shown that differences in costs between the platforms’ designs, once adjusted for statistical efficiency, are not always negligible. The extent of these differences is largely influenced by subjects and array prices as well as by biological and error variances in their relative magnitude. Circumstances are described, in which cost-efficiency considerations will have an added value in motivating the selection of a microarray platform at the design stage.