title: RNA sequencing: advances, challenges and opportunities.
abstract: In the few years since its initial application, massively parallel cDNA sequencing, or RNA-seq, has allowed many advances in the characterization and quantification of transcriptomes. Recently, several developments in RNA-seq methods have provided an even more complete characterization of RNA transcripts. These developments include improvements in transcription start site mapping, strand-specific measurements, gene fusion detection, small RNA characterization and detection of alternative splicing events. Ongoing developments promise further advances in the application of RNA-seq, particularly direct RNA sequencing and approaches that allow RNA quantification from very small amounts of cellular materials.
authors.affiliation: Helicos BioSciences Corporation, One Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. fozsolak@helicosbio.com
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozsolak
authors.forename: Patrice M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Milos
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D012313:RNA