WSU csRNA-seq and Nascent Transcriptomics Services

Welcome!

We provide capped small RNA sequencing (csRNA-seq) as a non-profit service to the research community. Our goal is to make high-resolution nascent transcriptomics widely accessible to labs that lack in-house expertise — enabling precise measurement of active transcription directly from total RNA, without the need for nuclear run-on assays or specialized cell treatments. We are also happy to train you! csRNA-seq was developed in the Duttke Lab at WSU. A full methods description is available in Meyer et al. Nature Protocols (2026)

Why csRNA-seq?

  • Captures active RNA Polymerase II initiation from total RNA, providing high-resolution maps of transcription start sites (TSSs) and initiation levels for both stable RNAs (mRNAs, non-coding RNAs) and transient RNAs (enhancer RNAs, promoter-antisense RNAs, pri-miRNAs).
  • Compatible with fresh, frozen, and chemically fixed samples — including inactivated infectious material — making it broadly applicable across experimental systems.
  • Simple and scalable: no nuclear isolation or metabolic labeling required. Works directly from total RNA.
  • Quantitative and strand-specific, enabling direct comparison of transcriptional activity across conditions, time points, or cell types.
  • Complements GRO-seq/PRO-seq and ATAC-seq by pinpointing precise initiation events rather than elongation or chromatin accessibility.

How it works

A typical project follows five steps:

  1. Free consultation — discuss your experimental design and sample types.
  2. Sample submission — you ship RNA (or nuclei) meeting our quality guidelines.
  3. Library preparation — performed exclusively by Duttke Lab- trained personnel.
  4. Sequencing — carried out by our partner core, the WSU Laboratory for Biotechnology and Bioanalysis (LBB).
  5. Data delivery — raw FASTQ files and processed outputs (aligned reads, TSS tracks, count matrices) provided via secure download link.

Typical turnaround from sample receipt to data delivery: 4–8 weeks, depending on sequencing queue and project complexity.

Contact us

All service requests begin with a free consultation. Please reach out before submitting samples — this helps us ensure your project is a good fit and that your samples are prepared optimally.

Let’s get started

Email us with a brief description of your project, including

  • organism/tissue
  • sample type (fresh/frozen/fixed/purified RNA)
  • number of samples, and
  • your research question.

We will respond within 2–3 business days.

More info about csRNA-seq on our Protocols page.

What you receive

  • Raw sequencing reads (FASTQ)
  • Upon request: A draft Methods paragraph describing the library preparation and analysis pipeline, suitable for inclusion in a manuscript

Extended bioinformatic support (differential TSS analysis, integration with other datasets) is available as an optional add-on. Discuss this during your consultation.