Why should I include SIRV spike-ins in my experiment?

Spike-in controls serve as essential internal qualitative and quantitative references for validating RNA-Seq workflows. They are added to samples in known concentrations and compositions providing an experimental ground truth that is independent of the biological samples. This allows for the assessment of technical biases introduced at any step of the workflow - including library preparation, sequencing, and downstream data analysis, and to enable normalization and absolute quantification.

They provide quality assurance and ensure data consistency in RNA-seq workflows.

To know which set to use, please see the following FAQ: How do I select the right SIRV set?