RNA-seq (RNA sequencing), is a technology that uses the capabilities of next-generation sequencing to reveal a snapshot of RNA presence and quantity from a genome at a given moment in time Compared with traditional gene chip technology, no pre-designed probes are required for RNA-Seq transcriptome sequencing. RNA-Seq provides a more precise digital signals, higher detection range, which is a powerful tool for studying the complexity of transcriptomes.

Gene-Expression Profile Analysis

In the field of molecular biology, gene expression profiling is the measurement of the activity (the expression) of thousands of genes at once, to create a global picture of cellular function. These profiles can, for example, distinguish between cells that are actively dividing, or show how the cells react to a particular treatment. Many experiments of this sort measure an entire genome simultaneously, that is, every gene present in a particular cell. Compared with whole transcriptome sequencing, mRNA gene expression profiling requires shorter sequencing read lengths and smaller sequencing depth. The advantages of this method include high reproducibility, low cost, accuracy. It could potentially replace the conventional digital expression profiling.