Molecular and statistical tools for circadian transcript profiling.

This article describes methods used to evaluate mRNA expression patterns on microarrays and their application in circadian biology. With the intention of complementing rather than duplicating the existing literature, particular emphasis is placed on experimental design, data analysis techniques, and independent verification. Both comparative and temporal study designs are discussed, and their use in circadian research is illustrated with examples. Data analysis methods to assess periodic components in time series data are outlined in detail.