RSPS: An R Library for Empirical Determination of Statistical Power for RNA-Seq Studies
Milan Bimali
University of Kansas Medical Center
Joseph Usset
University of Kansas Medical Center
Brooke Fridley
University of Kansas Medical Center
Next generation sequencing technology is a powerful technology that enables researchers to discover, profile, and quantify transcripts across the entire transcriptome. Benefits of RNA-Seq over microarray technologies include: the ability to assess alternative splicing; detection of gene fusions; improved dynamic range; and the ability to use on non-model organisms. A fundamental question that arises in the design of many RNA-Seq studies is the required sample size to achieve a desired statistical power to determine differentially expressed genes. Here, we present an R package RSPS (RNA-Seq Power Simulation) that uses an efficient simulation algorithm to empirically determine statistical power or the necessary sample size for an RNA-Seq study.