On the study of microbial transcriptomes using second- and third-generation sequencing technologies

Second-generation sequencing technologies transformed the study of microbial transcriptomes. They helped reveal the transcription start sites and antisense transcripts of microbial species, improving the microbial genome annotation. Quantification of genome-wide gene expression levels allowed for functional studies of microbial research. Ever-evolving sequencing technologies are reshaping approaches to studying microbial transcriptomes. Recently, Oxford Nanopore Technologies delivered a sequencing platform called MinION, a third-generation sequencing technology, to the research community. We expect it to be the next sequencing technology that enables breakthroughs in life science fields. The studies of microbial transcriptomes will be no exception. In this paper, we review microbial transcriptomics studies using second- generation sequencing technology. We also discuss the prospect of microbial transcriptomics studies with thirdgeneration sequencing.