Optimal amounts of fluorescent dye improve expression microarray results in tumor specimens.

Expression microarrays have great potential for clinical use but variability of the results represents a challenge for reliable practical application. The amount of fluorescent dye used in microarray experiments is a significant source of variability that has not been systematically studied. Here we demonstrate that the quantity of Cy3 dye affects microarray results performed on tumor specimens. Signal-to-noise ratios and coefficients of variation are significantly improved by increasing Cy3 to 150-180 pmol, but any further increase does not improve the data. In conclusion, optimal amounts of dye reduce variability and improve reliability of expression microarray experiments.