Estimating sample size from bulk RNAseq data

Question

[Researcher]

Is it possible to estimate the sample size (number of cells) in a bulk RNASeq sample data?

[Shred]

You may find an estimation of cellular type composition, with deconvolution approaches. It's barely impossible to assess the absolute number of all the cells in your bulk.

[ahmad mousavi]

Its hard to say how many cells was used in a Bulk RNA-SEQ, because we ignore the cells identity and extract RNA from whole cells.

Maybe you can try a control gene in the sample as housekeeping and count the number isoform/gene seen in the sample as the cell numbers, but its hard.