A Review on The Processing and Analysis of Next-generation RNA-seq Data*

Abstract

With the rapid development of the next-generation sequencing(NGS) technology,high-throughput RNA sequencing or RNA-seq is becoming a key experimental approach in the study of gene expression and transcriptome.The overwhelming amount of RNA-seq data brings new opportunities and challenges for bioinformatics.The efficient and effective processing and analysis of RNA-seq data is becoming the bottleneck for turning the possibilities provided by the new technology into real scientific discovery.A general description of the typical RNA-seq protocol was given.A complete review of major methods and available software in the processing and analysis of RNA-seq data were presented,using the Illumina/Solexa platform as an example.Questions that are still open and awaiting further research are also discussed.