Slide 4

Genome-Wide Profiling: Many Ways

Genome-wide profiling refers to the collection of large-scale information about the sequence and expression of the genes in normal or tumor cells. Techniques include:

• Comparative Genomic Hybridization and Spectral Karyotyping
  looking at global changes in chromosome structure when cancer cells are compared to normal ones from the same patient
• Polymorphism Analysis
  looking at genetic variations called polymorphisms in individuals and in populations (These specific altered regions or sequences are spread across the entire genome.)
• Gene Expression Profiling
  capturing total gene activities, both increases and decreases, across a genome as patterns of gene expression

Most of these techniques use high-throughput technologies, which are automated systems that can perform rapid analysis of large numbers of samples. Data generated through genome-wide profiling are sometimes called genomic signatures or genomic profiles.