Single-cell RNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics pipelines

Abstract

Genetic data: Zooming in on single cells Showing which genes are expressed, or switched on, in individual cells may help to reveal the first signs of disease. Each cell in an organism contains the same genetic information, but cell type and behavior depend on which genes are expressed. Previously, researchers could only sequence cells in batches, averaging the results, but technological improvements now allow sequencing of the genes expressed in an individual cell, known as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Ji Hyun Lee (Kyung Hee University, Seoul) and Duhee Bang and Byungjin Hwang (Yonsei University, Seoul) have reviewed the available scRNA-seq technologies and the strategies available to analyze the large quantities of data produced. They conclude that scRNA-seq will impact both basic and medical science, from illuminating drug resistance in cancer to revealing the complex pathways of cell differentiation during development.