by Pedro Echave, Global Leader and NGS Product Expert,, and Mike Brenan, Global Single-cell Product Expert, Revvity
There is truth in the adage that says, “what you put into things is what you get out of them.” In laboratory science and especially in single-cell research, this is certainly true.
Beginning with a high-quality sample will help ensure quality results downstream and thus, more meaningful biological insights. There are inherent challenges, however, in working with single-cell samples. For one, the cell types being studied are especially fragile and more prone to damage or death during collection, storage and sequencing. Fortunately, there are myriad solutions available to aid research teams that encounter these challenges in their single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) studies. A clearer understanding of what causes low sample viability, how viability affects scRNAseq data and what can be done to prevent low viability in the first place will set research teams on the right track.
The State of Single-cell Research
Due to what some have termed the “cellular resolution revolution,” single-cell analysis has evolved from a niche approach to a well-established methodology with broad appeal. The various techniques developed to conduct single-cell studies enable scientists to drill down to human health and disease at the most basic level – uncovering information that informs how certain conditions can be detected and treated. One group making impressive headway in this field is the Human Cell Atlas (HCA), an international consortium founded in 2016. Using high-throughput single-cell technologies, the HCA community is creating what is akin to a “Google maps” of the human body – defining the position, function and characteristics of every cell type in the human body. According to the HCA’s website, the group anticipates its work to impact almost every aspect of biology and medicine – though most recently its contributions to COVID-19 research are notable (e.g., identifying cells susceptible to infection and developing better understanding around how the SARS-CoV-2 virus attacks cells throughout the body).
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