Scientists Map Hidden Genetic Switches in Early Embryos
Researchers have developed a technique to read both genes and regulatory molecules from single embryonic cells simultaneously, revealing how embryos develop at unprecedented molecular detail. The method could accelerate understanding of early pregnancy loss and birth defects, opening new avenues for reproductive medicine and fertility treatment improvements.
Originaltitel: Single-Cell mRNA-sncRNA Co-sequencing of Preimplantation Embryos.
The development of single-cell multiomics has provided the ability to systematically investigate cellular diversity and heterogeneity in different biological systems via comprehensive delineations of individual cellular states. Single-cell RNA sequencing in particular has served as a powerful tool to the study of the molecular circuitries underlying preimplantation embryonic development in both the mouse and human. Here we describe a method to elucidate the cellular dynamics of the embryo further by performing both single-cell RNA sequencing (Smart-Seq2) and single-cell small non-coding RNA sequencing (Small-Seq) on the same individual embryonic cell.