Gene Expression Nebulas (GEN): a comprehensive data portal integrating transcriptomic profiles across multiple species at both bulk and single-cell levels
Yuansheng Zhang, Dong Zou, Tongtong Zhu, Tianyi Xu, Ming Chen, Guangyi Niu, Wenting Zong, Rong Pan, Wei Jing, Jian Sang, Chang Liu, Yujia Xiong, Yubin Sun, Shuang Zhai, Huanxin Chen, Wenming Zhao, Jingfa Xiao, Yīmíng Bào, Lili Hao, Zhang Zhang
Abstract
Transcriptomic profiling is critical to uncovering functional elements from transcriptional and post-transcriptional aspects. Here, we present Gene Expression Nebulas (GEN, https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gen/), an open-access data portal integrating transcriptomic profiles under various biological contexts. GEN features a curated collection of high-quality bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets by using standardized data processing pipelines and a structured curation model. Currently, GEN houses a large number of gene expression profiles from 323 datasets (157 bulk and 166 single-cell), covering 50 500 samples and 15 540 169 cells across 30 species, which are further categorized into six biological contexts. Moreover, GEN integrates a full range of transcriptomic profiles on expression, RNA editing and alternative splicing for 10 bulk datasets, providing opportunities for users to conduct integrative analysis at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In addition, GEN provides abundant gene annotations based on value-added curation of transcriptomic profiles and delivers online services for data analysis and visualization. Collectively, GEN presents a comprehensive collection of transcriptomic profiles across multiple species, thus serving as a fundamental resource for better understanding genetic regulatory architecture and functional mechanisms from tissues to cells.