NASA GeneLab RNA-seq consensus pipeline: standardized processing of short-read RNA-seq data.

Area of Science:

• Space Biology
• Transcriptomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Advancements in transcriptomic technologies enable precise measurement of gene expression changes in organisms exposed to spaceflight.
• NASA GeneLab and its associated Analysis Working Groups (AWGs) address the need for standardized data analysis in space biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a consensus pipeline for analyzing short-read RNA sequencing data from spaceflight experiments.
• To promote transparency, reproducibility, and reusability of spaceflight transcriptomic data.
• To provide a template for processing future spaceflight-related datasets.

Main Methods:

• Developed a consensus bioinformatics pipeline for RNA sequencing data analysis.
• Pipeline includes quality control, read trimming, mapping, and gene quantification.
• Differential gene expression analysis is a key output of the pipeline.

Main Results:

• The GeneLab data analysis pipeline is now publicly available.
• Results from pipeline execution on GeneLab data are accessible via the GeneLab database.
• The pipeline facilitates the detection of differentially expressed genes.

Conclusions:

• The established pipeline offers a standardized approach for spaceflight transcriptomic data analysis.
• Public availability of the pipeline and results encourages broader research and data integration.
• This initiative supports robust and reproducible space biology research.