The transcriptome is the total mRNA in a cell or
organism and the template for protein synthesis in
a process called translation. The transcriptome
reflects the genes that are actively expressed at any
given moment. Gene expression microarrays
measure packaged mRNA (mRNA with the introns
spliced out) as a summary of gene activity.
While advances in microarray technology have
resulted in progress in genomics and transcriptomics
(and the resultant literature), it is important tohighlight some limitations. Specifically, gene
expression microarrays measure changes in
mRNA abundance, not protein, and thus there is a
lack of consensus around the interpretation of
microarray data.