The scholarly article reads like an art review: “A grid of red, yellow, and green spots glows against a glassy black backdrop in an abstract composition no larger than a microscope slide.” In fact, Kathleen M. Wong of ScienceMatters@Berkeley is describing DNA microarrays, collections of genetic material that provide biologists with data-rich “snapshots” of complex interactions among genes and proteins. Microarry experiments are being applied to improve public health, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The problem is that each artistic snapshot provides far too much information for modern researchers to handle.
