Research studies by Jeff Farrell, Yiqun Wang, Bushra Raj, and James Gagnon and their collaborators were featured as “Breakthrough of the Year 2018” by Science Magazine. They used a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to mark and follow thousands of individual embryonic cells. Computational approaches then reconstructed the developmental trajectories and lineages that generate neurons, muscle, blood and other cell types.
Single-cell reconstruction of developmental trajectories during zebrafish embryogenesis.
Farrell JA, Wang Y, Riesenfeld SJ, Shekhar K, Regev A, Schier AF.
Science. 2018 Jun 1;360(6392). pii: eaar3131. doi: 10.1126/science.aar3131. Epub 2018 Apr 26.
PMID: 29700225 Free PMC Article
2018 Science Breakthrough magazine cover image by Jeff Farrell
A zebrafish embryo, prior to gastrulation. Fluorescent RNA in situ hybridization highlights cells that express genes involved in determining their future fate: sox32 (magenta, in cells that will become endoderm), gsc (green, in cells that will become prechordal plate), and ntl/tbxta (red, in cells that will give rise to the notochord and tail mesoderm.) Cell membranes are labeled in yellow, and DNA in blue.
Simultaneous single-cell profiling of lineages and cell types in the vertebrate brain.
Raj B, Wagner DE, McKenna A, Pandey S, Klein AM, Shendure J, Gagnon JA, Schier AF.
Nat Biotechnol. 2018 Jun;36(5):442-450. doi: 10.1038/nbt.4103. Epub 2018 Mar 28.
PMID: 29608178 Free PMC Article
Alex Schier faculty profile, Schier lab website
