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Development and applications of single-cell transcriptome analysis

Nature Methods volume 8, pages S6–S11 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Dissecting the relationship between genotype and phenotype is one of the central goals in developmental biology and medicine. Transcriptome analysis is a powerful strategy to connect genotype to phenotype of a cell. Here we review the history, progress, potential applications and future developments of single-cell transcriptome analysis. In combination with live cell imaging and lineage tracing, it will be possible to decipher the full gene expression network underlying physiological functions of individual cells in embryos and adults, and to study diseases.

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Figure 1: Strategies for single-cell transcriptome analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Fuchou Tang & M Azim Surani

  2. Biodynamics Optical Imaging Center, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Fuchou Tang

  3. Genetic Systems, Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies, Foster City, California, USA

    Kaiqin Lao

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  1. Fuchou Tang
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Correspondence to Kaiqin Lao or M Azim Surani.

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K.L. is an employee of Applied Biosystems (part of Life Technologies).

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Tang, F., Lao, K. & Surani, M. Development and applications of single-cell transcriptome analysis. Nat Methods 8 (Suppl 4), S6–S11 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.1557

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