Method to Watch

New approaches will expose microbial dependencies and environmental interactions.

Single-cell sequencing is poised to elucidate how cells contribute to tissue function.

The ability to measure the metabolome on a global scale lags behind other omics techniques.

Having revolutionized DNA editing, CRISPR turns to RNA.

Methods for imaging multiple targets in a single cell are breaking the color barrier.

Methods to systematically map the distribution of proteins in cells are evolving.

New approaches are needed to see the dynamics of 3D chromatin structure at high resolution and throughput.

Optogenetic manipulation of neurons at cellular resolution holds promise for the dissection of neural microcircuitry.

New computational tools learn complex motifs from large sequence data sets.

Integrated molecular profiles of single cells will provide mechanistic insights into gene regulation and heterogeneity.

Better protein-labeling strategies will improve imaging.

Advances in time-resolved crystallography make it possible to follow ever more rapid protein structural changes.

Methods to profile and characterize the function of noncoding RNAs will emerge.

As the CRISPR-Cas system matures, specificity, efficacy and maybe even a eukaryotic nuclease are being considered.

A closer look into the depths of organs such as the brain is within reach.

Correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM) is particularly powerful when applied in super-resolution.

Data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry may change how proteomic data are generated.

Genetically encoded voltage indicators are on the brink of allowing neuronal activity to be directly imaged in vivo.

Nanopores hold promise for single-protein characterization.

Protein structures can be determined from microcrystals using X-ray and electron diffraction.