RNA Microarray or RNA-Seq?
The RNA microarray can only detect known sequences. RNA sequencing can be carried out regardless of whether the tested species have reference sequence information or not. Sequencing is currently the most effective way to quickly obtain species sequences. If new microRNAs are explored and discovered, it is clear that the RNA-Seq will be better. Recently, the rapid development of sequencing technology has many advantages, such as the potential to discover new sequence variations and obtain highly repetitive expression data. But in the absolute quantification of RNA, microarrays still surpass RNA sequencing.
In low expression genes, the sample variability of RNA-seq detection is greater, while the RNA microarray has no preference for high or low expression, and the stability of the RNA microarray is better than that of RNA-Seq. The detection efficiency of the RNA microarray is high; the number of circRNA detected is more than that of RNA-Seq. It is also effective for circRNA with low expression abundance. RNA microarrays are usually used to detect known circRNAs. In addition, if conventional sequencing is used, some circRNA with low expression abundance may be missed. The RNA microarrays mainly detect known circRNAs and RNA-Seq can detect new circRNAs.
Compared with RNA-Seq, the RNA microarray is more mature and simple in both experimental and data analysis processes. Therefore, the time used to run RNA microarray is usually cut in half compared to the time used for RNA-Seq. The sequence of RNA microarray data is from a database, with detailed annotations and abundant references. Because of its stability, shorter experimental cycle and more usable experimental results, the RNA microarray is more conducive to medical researchers to find key genes in a small amount of research time and accelerate the publication of results.
Choose the right technology for your research
Are you leveraging RNA Microarray or RNA-Seq for your research? Choose the appropriate tool according to the characteristics and considerations of your project. There are specific applications best served by RNA microarrays and others by RNA seq.
Fig. 1 Choose RNA Microarray or RNA-Seq?
As a leading service provider in the field of bio-microarray, CD Genomics focuses on designing and developing various and effective bio-microarrays for scientific research and clinical applications. We offer a full range of RNA Microarray products and services to help our worldwide customers shorten the microarray designing time and lower the cost of research. With our proven competencies and regulatory expertise, we are therefore confident in designing, developing, testing, and manufacturing of numerous RNA microarrays to suit your special needs in any biological and clinical projects.
CD Genomics provides one-stop solutions for RNA Microarray services. With a large and well-equipped scientist team, we are dedicated to collaborating with researchers around the world to meet customer specifications. Our clients have direct access to our staff and prompt feedback to their inquiries. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more details.
References
- Nazarov PV, et al. (2017). "RNA sequencing and transcriptome arrays analyses show opposing results for alternative splicing in patient derived samples." Bmc Genomics, 18(1), 443.
- Zhang K, et al. (2017). "The liver-enriched lnc-LFAR1 promotes liver fibrosis by activating TGFβ and Notch pathways." Nature Communications, 8(1), 144.
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