Power in Numbers: Single-Cell RNA-Seq Strategies to Dissect Complex Tissues

Abstract

<p class="first" id="P1">Recent increases in scale and decline in cost of single-cell RNA-seq now permit a repetition of cell sampling that increases the power to detect rare cell states, reconstruct developmental trajectories, and measure phenotype in new terms like cellular variance. The characterization of anatomy and developmental dynamics have not had an equivalent breakthrough since groundbreaking advances in live fluorescent microscopy. The new resolution is a boon to genetics, as the novel description of phenotype offers the opportunity to refine gene function and dissect pleiotropy. In addition, the recent pairing of high-throughput genetic perturbation with single-cell RNA-seq has made practical a scale of genetic screening not previously possible. </p>