RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) is evolving rapidly, driving breakthroughs in transcriptomics and transforming our understanding of diverse biological processes. In partnership with Nature, Zymo Research is excited to spotlight a pioneering tool in this field: the Zymo-Seq RiboFree Total RNA Library Kit. Highlighted in a recent article by Nature, this groundbreaking technology addresses one of the biggest challenges in RNA-Seq—ribosomal RNA (rRNA) interference—and opens new frontiers in research across numerous disciplines.
Overcoming RNA Sequencing Challenges with RiboFree
As detailed in Nature’s feature, a significant challenge in RNA-Seq is rRNA interference, which can make up to 90% of a total RNA sample. This over-abundance of rRNA can obscure gene expression data, complicating researchers’ ability to capture the full spectrum of coding and non-coding RNA of interest. Zymo Research’s RiboFree technology, an enzyme-based, probe-free depletion tool, removes rRNA from RNA input of any organism, making RNA-Seq more accessible and effective across any sample type—from microbes to plants and animals.
Real-World Applications of RiboFree
Nature’s article brings RiboFree’s versatility and impact to life through case studies that span diverse fields of research. Here are a few of the real-world applications that demonstrate how RiboFree is transforming RNA-Seq :
- Plant Molecular Biology: Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology leveraged RiboFree to study chloroplast genome structure in tobacco, advancing synthetic biology applications.
- Agricultural Virology: Scientists at the University of Cambridge used RiboFree to analyze endornaviruses in common beans, uncovering insights that could inform breeding strategies to improve crop resilience.
- Microbiology and Human Health: At Texas Biomedical Research Institute, RiboFree enabled researchers to examine Mycobacterium tuberculosis’s adaptation to human alveolar fluid, shedding light on early host-pathogen interactions.
- Virology and Public Health: Researchers applied RiboFree to archived frozen museum samples from Costa Rican pygmy rice rat collected in Panama, providing valuable data for hantavirus surveillance.
- Neuroscience: RiboFree supported profiling of long non-coding RNAs in drosophila, which could deepen understanding of their roles in neural development and function.
Each of these studies highlights RiboFree’s universal applicability and the breakthroughs it enables, even in previously challenging organisms and sample types.
Explore the Full Nature Feature
This collaboration with Nature reinforces Zymo Research’s commitment to supporting scientific discovery with innovative RNA-Seq technology. We invite researchers to read the full article and learn how RiboFree is advancing RNA-Seq to unlock new potential across various scientific fields.
Read the full Nature article to see how RiboFree technology can transform your research.