Allen Brain Atlas

Question 1

What method has been used to create the data in the mouse brain atlas?

Answer 1

In Situ Hybridization

Question 2

What is a neuroblast search?

Answer 2

It shows you other experiments where gene expression is similar to your gene of interest (it allows you to find related genes)

Question 3

How is the data in the human brain atlas created?

Answer 3

• Microarray data providing an “all genes, all structures” survey in multiple adult control brains
• In situ hybridization image data comprising multiple datasets from disease and control cases
• MRI data for brains used for all microarray and some ISH analyses (brain-map.org)

Question 4

What is correlation factor?

Answer 4

In a neuroblast search, you get a correlation factor for each gene. This is a measure of how similar the expression patterns are to the original gene searched. >0,75= high correlation,

Question 5

What is the difference between expression level and expression density?

Answer 5

as far as I understand - and I might be ccompletely wrong, so please correct this if necessary:

• expression density shows where stuff is xpressed
• Expression level shows how much is expressed