Technologies → RNA-Seq → Long-read RNA sequencing

Long-read RNA sequencing for drug development

Long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing captures complete transcripts, isoforms, and RNA modifications in a single read, all in a regulatory-compliant environment.

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Long-read RNA sequencing

Oxford Nanopore RNA applications:

Transcript profiling

Oxford Nanopore’s long reads capture full-length transcripts, splice variants, and fusion events, enabling detailed transcriptome characterization in engineered cells and tissues for functional studies and biomarker discovery.

Monitor RNA therapeutic modifications

Nanopore direct RNA sequencing enables the detection of RNA modifications, allowing sensitive monitoring of modifications in therapeutic RNAs during preclinical and clinical stages.

Transgene expression monitoring

Direct RNA sequencing provides insights into therapeutic transgene expression in cell and gene therapies, supporting potency assessment, stability evaluation, and dose optimization.

Regulatory-supportive workflows

All assays are carried out in a regulatory-compliant laboratory environment, with strict procedures for sample handling, backup systems, and data security. While Oxford Nanopore’s long-read sequencing is not performed under GLP/GCLP, our regulated setting benefits every analysis by ensuring traceability, robustness, and reliable results.

GLP and GCLP compliant laboratory

We are accredited for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) by the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (SWEDAC) for qPCR, dPCR, and molecular biology. In addition, we are Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP) compliant to ensure the safe and reliable analysis of clinical samples.

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Samples

Engineered cell therapy products (CAR-T, TCR-T, NK, stem cells)
Fresh frozen tissues
PAXgene Blood RNA tubes
Liquid biopsies (e.g., plasma for cfRNA, CSF, BAL fluid)

Analytes

Full-length therapeutic transgene transcripts
mRNA isoforms
Fusion transcripts
Differential gene expression
Immune-related genes
Stress response pathways
Non-coding RNA species

What is Oxford Nanopore RNA sequencing?

Oxford Nanopore RNA sequencing is a long-read sequencing technology that enables direct analysis of full-length RNA molecules. Unlike short-read NGS, which sequences fragmented cDNA and then reconstructs transcripts computationally, Nanopore reads span entire transcripts in a single pass. Long-read sequencing makes it possible to detect isoforms, alternative splicing events, and RNA modifications with higher resolution.

Short-read NGS, by contrast, provides high-throughput, cost-efficient, and highly accurate sequencing of RNA fragments, making it ideal for quantitative expression profiling and applications where large sample numbers are required. Nanopore sequencing offers complementary strengths, providing richer structural and qualitative insights into RNA, while short-read sequencing excels in depth, accuracy, and scalability.