Comparative evaluation of laser-based microarray scanners

Laboratories use different laser-based scanners to scan microarray images. To assess whether results from different scanners are comparable, and thus whether data from different laboratories can be compared, we scanned the same microarray slide with three commercial scanners that use different imaging techniques. After the acquisition of the microarray images produced by the three scanners, the images were quantified using a single imaging software package and protocol. The results were compared, and we found that the data obtained from the three scanners were comparable and that the variations caused by the use of different instruments were negligible, in spite of the fact that the scanners were based on different optical imaging techniques.