Do I need to perform RNA-seq alongside Translatomics?

Highly Recommended. To accurately calculate Translational Efficiency (TE), you must normalize the ribosome-bound reads against total cytosolic mRNA levels. We offer bundled pricing for paired sequencing.

Can Disome-seq detect "Trisomes"?

Yes, the gradient fractionation can be adjusted to collect larger polysome stacks, though Disomes (pairs) are the primary unit for studying collision signaling.

How does Ribo-seq differ from Polysome Profiling?

Polysome Profiling measures how many ribosomes are on a transcript (density). Ribo-seq measures where the ribosomes are located (position). Ribo-seq offers higher resolution but requires more complex library preparation.

Can you analyze low-input clinical samples?

Yes. Our Enhanced Ribo-seq protocol is optimized for lower input material, utilizing specialized rRNA depletion and linker ligation strategies to maximize library complexity from scarce samples.

Translatomics Sequencing Services

Decode the Functional Genome: Move Beyond Transcriptomic Profiling to Measure Protein Synthesis Rates.

High mRNA expression does not guarantee functional protein. In fact, transcript levels only explain ~40% of protein abundance variability. Translatomics (Translational Profiling) eliminates this blind spot by sequencing the "active" genome—the mRNAs actively bound by ribosomes.

From optimizing mRNA vaccine codons to discovering tumor neoantigens, CD Genomics provides the high-resolution data needed to decode the final, most critical layer of gene regulation. Our portfolio includes Polysome Profiling, Ribo-seq, Disome-seq, and tRNA-seq.

Submit Your Request Now

Scientific infographic illustrating the functional translatome landscape, showing mRNA flow from the transcriptome to active translation. It highlights detection methods including Polysome Profiling, Ribo-seq (30nt footprint), Disome-seq (60nt collision), RNC-seq, and tRNA-seq.

What is Translatomics?

Translatomics is the genome-wide analysis of mRNA molecules that are actively occupied by ribosomes. Unlike total RNA sequencing, which measures the potential for gene expression, translatomics measures the kinetic reality of protein production.

Translatome vs. Transcriptome: The Functional Gap

A common challenge in drug discovery is the disconnect between gene expression data and phenotypic outcomes.

Transcriptomics measures the total pool of RNA, including transcripts stored in granules or targeted for decay.
Translatomics selectively isolates the "active" pool engaged by the translational machinery.

Translatomics vs. Proteomics: Capturing Kinetics

While proteomics measures the steady-state accumulation of proteins (the net result of synthesis minus degradation), translatomics measures the instantaneous rate of synthesis. This makes it far more sensitive for detecting acute stress responses, drug mechanisms of action (MoA), and identifying short peptides (sORFs) often missed by mass spectrometry.

Which Translatomics Tool Do You Need?

Navigating the translatome requires the right resolution for your specific research question. Use this matrix to select the optimal service.

If your research question is...	Recommended Service	Key Output Data
"I need to find novel peptides/antigens for a vaccine."	Ribo-seq	Novel ORFs, uORFs, non-canonical start sites.
"I want to know if my drug stops global protein synthesis."	Polysome Profiling	Monosome/Polysome Ratio (Peak Map).
"My protein yield is low, but mRNA is high. Why?"	Disome-seq	Pause Scores, Ribosome Collision Sites.
"Which splice variant is actually making protein?"	Standard RNC-seq & Long-read RNC-seq	Full-length translated isoforms.
"I have very little sample (e.g., sorted cells)."	Enhanced Ribo-seq	High-complexity libraries from low input.
"I am studying mitochondrial metabolic defects."	MitoRibo-seq	Mitochondrial-specific ribosome footprints.

Comprehensive Service Portfolio

Ribosome Footprinting Disome-seq Polysome Profiling RNC-seq tRNA Sequencing

1. High-Resolution Ribosome Profiling

Ideal for Mechanism of Action (MoA), Neoantigen Discovery, and Codon Optimization.

Ribo-seq (Ribosome Profiling) The gold standard for translatomics. We use RNase digestion to isolate ~30nt Ribosome Protected Fragments (RPFs), mapping ribosome positions with nucleotide precision.

Standard Ribo-seq: For general gene expression, Start/Stop codon mapping, and ORF discovery.
Enhanced Ribo-seq: An optimized protocol for low-input samples (<1ng RNA) or clinical biopsies, utilizing specialized rRNA depletion to maximize usable reads.
MitoRibo-seq: Specific profiling of mitochondrial ribosomes (~28nt footprints) to study metabolic translation dynamics.
Poly-Ribo-seq: A hybrid approach sequencing RPFs specifically from the "Heavy Polysome" fraction, filtering out inactive monosome noise for high-fidelity data.

2. Disome-seq

Ideal for Protein Folding, Stress Response, and mRNA Therapeutic Design.

Disome-seq (Ribosome Collision Analysis) Standard Ribo-seq cannot distinguish between active elongation and stalling. Disome-seq specifically captures the ~60nt footprints of colliding ribosomes (disomes).

Applications: Detect translational pausing, map "traffic jams" caused by rare codons, and study Ribosome-Associated Quality Control (RQC) pathways.

3. Polysome Profiling

Ideal for Phenotype Screening and Translational Status Checks.

Polysome Profiling We use sucrose density gradient centrifugation to physically separate mRNA into sub-polysomal (inactive) and polysomal (active) fractions.

Standard Polysome Profiling: Visualization of the 80S monosome and polysome peaks to assess global translational arrest or activation.
Polysome Profiling + RNA-seq: Sequencing fractionated RNA to calculate Translational Efficiency (TE) for every gene.
Polysome Profiling + lncRNA: Targeted analysis to investigate the coding potential or ribosome-association of long non-coding RNAs.
Polysome Profiling + Proteomics: A multi-omics approach correlating ribosome occupancy with mass spectrometry (DIA/TMT) data.

4.RNC-seq

Ideal for Isoform Validation.

RNC-seq (Ribosome-Nascent Chain Complex Seq) Unlike Ribo-seq which digests RNA, RNC-seq sequences full-length mRNAs bound to ribosomes.

Standard RNC-seq: Cost-effective identification of translated genes using NGS (Illumina), avoiding the complexity of library digestion.
Long-read RNC-seq: Utilizing Nanopore or PacBio sequencing on RNC-mRNA. This is the only method to definitively prove which specific splice variant (isoform) is actively being translated.

5. tRNA Sequencing

tRNA Sequencing (tRNA-seq) Quantifies the abundance and charging status of transfer RNAs. Essential for correlating codon usage bias with translational speed.

High-Value Applications

From Discovery to Clinic: Solving Pharma Challenges

1. mRNA Therapeutics & Vaccine Optimization

The Challenge: High mRNA stability does not always equal high protein expression. "Silent" mutations can create accidental ribosome stall sites. The Solution: Use Ribo-seq and Disome-seq to map ribosome density across your construct. Identify "slow" codons or secondary structures causing bottlenecks and optimize the sequence for "smooth" translation.

2. Oncology: Neoantigen Discovery

The Challenge: Standard RNA-seq misses short, cryptic peptides presented by MHC-I molecules. The Solution: Ribo-seq reveals translation initiating from non-canonical start sites (e.g., CUG, GUG) in 5' UTRs or "non-coding" RNAs, identifying novel tumor-specific antigens.

3. Mechanism of Action (MoA) Profiling

The Challenge: Many compounds affect cellular phenotypes (Translational Buffering) without altering mRNA levels. The Solution: Compare Polysome-seq vs. RNA-seq to identify gene sets specifically repressed by your compound, distinguishing between transcription inhibitors and translation elongation blockers.

Why Choose CD Genomics?

Technical Superiority in Translatomics

Translatomics is technically unforgiving. A slight delay in lysis or incorrect digestion can ruin the library. Here is why we are the preferred partner for complex studies.

1. "Frozen-in-Time" Lysis Protocol

Ribosomes are dynamic. If cells are stressed during harvest, ribosomes "run off" the mRNA.

Our Protocol: We utilize proprietary Flash-Lysis buffers containing high concentrations of elongation inhibitors (Cycloheximide or Tigecycline). This preserves the in vivo ribosome positioning within seconds.

2. Success with Difficult Samples

We have optimized workflows for:

FACS-sorted cells: Successful libraries from as few as 50,000 cells.
Clinical Biopsies: Robust data from flash-frozen tumor tissues.

3. Rigorous QC: The "3-nt Periodicity" Guarantee

We do not just deliver raw reads. We prove the data is real.

The Standard: Every Ribo-seq report includes a Metagene Plot showing clear 3-nucleotide periodicity (phasing), confirming that the reads are true ribosome footprints and not random RNA degradation.

Client Success Stories

Case 1: The "Low-Input" Rescue

Client: Senior Scientist, Immunology Dept, Mid-sized Biotech (Boston, MA) Project: Ribo-seq on FACS-sorted T-cells.

"We were skeptical about doing Ribo-seq because we could only isolate about 100,000 cells. Other vendors told us we needed 5 million. CD Genomics used their Enhanced Ribo-seq protocol. Not only did we get successful libraries, but the P-site mapping rate was over 85%, and we clearly saw the translational shift in our target cytokines."

Case 2: Solving the "Protein Mismatch" Mystery

Client: Principal Investigator, Neurobiology Institute (Germany) Project: Disome-seq for Neurodegenerative Disease Model.

"We had a phenotype where our mRNA levels were normal, but protein aggregates were forming. We sent flash-frozen tissue for Disome-seq. The data was pristine—we saw a distinct ~60nt fragment peak (confirming disome isolation) and identified a specific stalling motif.

Bioinformatics Pipeline

Translational Efficiency (TE) Calculation.
P-Site Mapping & Periodicity Check.
ORF Prediction (uORF, sORF).
Pause Score Analysis (Disome-seq).
Codon Usage Bias Analysis.

Sample Type	Recommended Amount	Handling Requirement
Cell Lines	> 1 × 10^7 cells	Lysis buffer with CHX immediately upon harvest.
Animal Tissue	> 200 mg	Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen within seconds.
Plant Tissue	> 500 mg	Grind in liquid nitrogen; specialized buffer required.

Frequently Asked Questions

- Q: Do I need to perform RNA-seq alongside Translatomics?
  - A: Highly Recommended. To accurately calculate Translational Efficiency (TE), you must normalize the ribosome-bound reads against total cytosolic mRNA levels. We offer bundled pricing for paired sequencing.
- Q: Can Disome-seq detect "Trisomes"?
  - A: Yes, the gradient fractionation can be adjusted to collect larger polysome stacks, though Disomes (pairs) are the primary unit for studying collision signaling.
- Q: How does Ribo-seq differ from Polysome Profiling?
  - A: Polysome Profiling measures how many ribosomes are on a transcript (density). Ribo-seq measures where the ribosomes are located (position). Ribo-seq offers higher resolution but requires more complex library preparation.
- Q: Can you analyze low-input clinical samples?
  - A: Yes. Our Enhanced Ribo-seq protocol is optimized for lower input material, utilizing specialized rRNA depletion and linker ligation strategies to maximize library complexity from scarce samples.