Address of the bookmark: http://ritchielab.psu.edu/software/phenogram-downloads

More at http://sequenceserver.com.

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/wurmlab/sequenceserver

Our work is published in Scientific Reports:

Ye, C. et al. DBG2OLC: Efficient Assembly of Large Genomes Using Long Erroneous Reads of the Third Generation Sequencing Technologies. Sci. Rep. 6, 31900; doi: 10.1038/srep31900 (2016).

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep31900

The manual can be downloaded from:

https://github.com/yechengxi/DBG2OLC/raw/master/Manual.docx

To use precompiled versions,please go to:

https://github.com/yechengxi/DBG2OLC/tree/master/compiled

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/yechengxi/DBG2OLC

https://github.com/jennomics/WorkflowPaper/blob/master/Genome%20Assembly%20and%20Annotation.md

Address of the bookmark: http://bioinformatics.uconn.edu/bacterial-genome-assembly-tutorial/

Address of the bookmark: http://pasapipeline.github.io/

Address of the bookmark: https://github.com/SysBioChalmers/RAVEN

11/3/2019: V 0.61, Improve graphical visualization (thanks to reviewers). Interactive networks and much more.

5/20/2019: V.0.60, Annotation database updated to Ensembl 96. New bacterial and fungal genomes based on STRING-db! Just paste your gene list to get enriched GO terms and othe pathways for over 315 plant and animal species, based on annotation from Ensembl (Release 96), Ensembl plants (R. 43) and Ensembl Metazoa (R. 43). An additional 2031 genomes (including bacteria and fungi) are annotated based on STRING-db (v.10). In addition, it also produces KEGG pathway diagrams with your genes highlighted, hierarchical clustering trees and networks summarizing overlapping terms/pathways, protein-protein interaction networks, gene characterristics plots, and enriched promoter motifs. 

Address of the bookmark: http://bioinformatics.sdstate.edu/go/

1. the ontology itself, which is a set of terms with their precise definitions and defined relationships between them, and
2. the associations between gene products and GO terms, which are used to capture the existing knowledge about what each gene is known to do.

But the term gene ontology, or GO, is commonly used to refer to both, which is sometimes a source of potential confusion. In order to avoid this, here we will use the term “GO ontology” to describe the set of terms and their hierarchical structure and “GO annotations” to describe the set of associations between genes and GO terms.

There are 3 types of terms, or domains if you wish, in the gene ontology:

• Biological Processes (BP)
• Molecular Functions (MF)
• Cellular Components (CC)

Address of the bookmark: https://advaitabio.com/faq-items/understanding-gene-ontology/

What is RNA-Seq?

RNA-Seq is a next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology used to study the transcriptome—the complete set of RNA molecules in a cell. It quantifies gene expression, detects novel transcripts, and captures alternative splicing events with high sensitivity and resolution.

Workflow for RNA-Seq Analysis

RNA-Seq analysis involves several stages, each requiring computational tools and expertise.

1. Experimental Design and Data Acquisition

Before diving into analysis, bioinformaticians should consider:

• Biological Replicates: Ensure statistical power to detect meaningful differences.
• Sequencing Depth: Align sequencing depth to study objectives (e.g., higher depth for low-abundance transcripts).
• Paired-End vs. Single-End: Paired-end sequencing provides more detailed information on transcript structure.

Once sequencing is complete, raw data is provided in FASTQ format, containing sequence reads and quality scores.

2. Quality Control and Preprocessing

Quality control (QC) ensures data integrity. Tools such as FastQC evaluate metrics like base quality, GC content, and adapter contamination.

Preprocessing Steps:

• Trimming: Tools like Trimmomatic or Cutadapt remove low-quality bases and adapter sequences.
• Filtering: Discard reads below a certain quality threshold or length.

3. Read Alignment

Reads are mapped to a reference genome or transcriptome to determine their origin. Alignment tools include:

• HISAT2: Handles large genomes efficiently and supports spliced alignments.
• STAR: High-speed aligner optimized for RNA-Seq.
• Bowtie2: Suitable for short-read alignment.

Output: A SAM/BAM file containing aligned reads.

4. Transcript Assembly and Quantification

This step involves identifying transcripts and quantifying their expression levels. Tools used include:

• StringTie: Assembles and quantifies transcripts from aligned reads.
• Salmon/Kallisto: Perform pseudo-alignment for rapid and accurate quantification.

Expression levels are typically measured as TPM (transcripts per million) or FPKM (fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads).

5. Differential Expression Analysis

To identify genes with altered expression between conditions, bioinformaticians use tools such as:

• DESeq2: Accounts for data normalization and variability.
• edgeR: Handles overdispersed count data efficiently.
• Limma-voom: Combines linear modeling with RNA-Seq count data.

The output includes a list of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with statistical significance and fold-change values.

6. Functional Annotation and Pathway Analysis

Understanding the biological significance of DEGs involves:

• Gene Ontology (GO) Analysis: Tools like DAVID or clusterProfiler categorize genes based on their biological functions.
• Pathway Enrichment Analysis: Identifies pathways enriched in DEGs using tools like KEGG, Reactome, or GSEA.

7. Visualization

Visualizing results enhances interpretability. Common visualizations include:

• Heatmaps: Show expression patterns across samples (e.g., pheatmap).
• Volcano Plots: Highlight significant DEGs (e.g., ggplot2).
• PCA/UMAP: Assess sample clustering and variability (e.g., Seurat).

Challenges in RNA-Seq Analysis

1. Batch Effects: Technical variability can confound biological signals. Combat this with normalization techniques or batch-correction tools like ComBat.
2. Low-Quality Samples: Poor-quality RNA impacts downstream analyses.
3. Computational Complexity: RNA-Seq generates massive datasets, requiring robust computing resources and optimized pipelines.

Key Tools and Resources

• Bioconductor: A treasure trove of R packages for RNA-Seq analysis.
• Galaxy: A web-based platform for running RNA-Seq workflows.
• Nextflow/Snakemake: Workflow management tools to streamline analyses.

Applications of RNA-Seq

RNA-Seq is used in diverse research areas, including:

• Cancer Transcriptomics: Identifying tumor-specific expression profiles.
• Developmental Biology: Studying dynamic transcriptome changes.
• Drug Discovery: Screening genes modulated by therapeutic compounds.

Conclusion

RNA-Seq analysis is a cornerstone of modern transcriptomics, offering bioinformaticians a versatile toolkit for unraveling gene expression and regulation. Mastering RNA-Seq workflows and tools empowers researchers to transform raw sequencing data into biological discoveries.

Whether you’re investigating disease mechanisms, exploring cellular pathways, or developing new therapeutics, RNA-Seq is a powerful ally in your bioinformatics arsenal.