Automated cDNA microarray image segmentation

Abstract

cDNA microarray technology enables whole genome study of gene expressions by measuring the differential expression of genes in microarray images. An important first step in analyzing microarray image is the accurate delineation of the cDNA spots in the image. We report here a fully automated spot segmentation algorithm for cDNA microarray images. The algorithm makes use of morphological operations, adaptive multi-level thresholding, and statistical intensity modeling to perform automatic grid addressing and spot segmentation. Our algorithm is robust for even poor quality cDNA microarray images.