Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful tool, unlocking the secrets of cellular heterogeneity, trajectory inference, and the identification of rare cell types. However, the high dimensionality, sparsity, and presence of ”false” zero values in the data can pose challenges to clustering. Furthermore, current unsupervised clustering algorithms have not effectively leveraged prior biological knowledge, making cell clustering even more challenging Researchers at Shenzhen University have developed a novel semi-supervised clustering model dubbed scTPC. Unlike traditional clustering algo ..read more

The availability of whole-genome sequencing has changed the landscape when it comes to diagnosis of genetic diseases, making it possible to diagnose potential disease carriers and leading to improved disease management and provision of preventative services. But, even with today’s cutting-edge technology, genetic diseases are difficult to diagnose. “Less than 50 percent of diseases can be pinned down to the underlying molecular cause,” says Xin Gao, leader of KAUST’s Computational Bioscience Research Center. “We need to increase awareness and simplify the diagnostic process and the recogniti ..read more

MiLaboratories, a leader in RNA immune technologies, and Miltenyi Biotec, a global pioneer in biotechnology, are excited to announce a landmark partnership that promises to revolutionize the field of next-generation therapies. This collaboration combines MiLaboratories’ cutting-edge RNA kit technology for immune sequencing with Miltenyi Biotec’s robust production and commercialization capabilities. Under this agreement, MiLaboratories will grant exclusive rights to its innovative RNA kits immune sequencing technology to Miltenyi Biotec. This technology has been instrumental in advancing rese ..read more

UChicago researchers use machine learning insights to provide a better way for cancer and immunology researchers to study transcriptional dynamics of genes and cell-state transitions. Imagine predicting the exact finishing order of the Kentucky Derby from a still photograph taken 10 seconds into the race. That challenge pales in comparison to what researchers face when using single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to study how embryos develop, cells differentiate, cancers form, and the immune system reacts. In a paper published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ..read more

The innovative M2 pipeline strengthens the advanced metabolic modeling functionality of NIMML’s TITAN-X precision medicine platform for drug development The TITAN-X platform is an integrated computational modeling, bioinformatics and A.I. system designed to accelerate clinical development of precision medicines for human diseases The NIMML Institute, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit foundation focused on applying transdisciplinary, team-science approaches to precision medicine, has unveiled a new groundbreaking bioinformatics and data analytics pipeline that can predict metabolic profiles from ..read more

From novel laboratory research that enables scientists to define pancreatic cancer cells better to innovative clinical approaches that help patients recover from surgery more quickly, Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center (DFBCC) is steadily advancing the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancers. Reversible Fixation Overcomes Challenges of Single-Cell Profiling Sahar Nissim, MD, PhD, of the Brigham’s Division of Genetics and Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy is an award-winning physician-scientist. His team studies the earliest events that cause a no ..read more

Understanding the distinct gene sets and subpopulations within heterogeneous cell populations is essential for unraveling the complexities of biological systems. Recent advancements in computational pipelines have revolutionized the analysis of single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing data, providing researchers with powerful tools to dissect cellular heterogeneity. Researchers at Duke University have developed SifiNet, is a robust and accurate computational pipeline designed to identify gene sets, extract cellular subpopulations, and elucidate intrinsic relationships among these subpopulations. W ..read more

For medical diagnostics and biomarker discovery, the ability to analyze gene expression from peripheral blood RNA holds immense potential. This technique offers valuable insights into systemic changes in gene expression and immune responses, aiding in the diagnosis and monitoring of various diseases. However, traditional methods for extracting RNA from frozen blood samples collected in EDTA tubes have posed significant challenges due to the degradation of RNA quality. In a new study, researchers from the University of Sydney have unveiled a novel protocol designed to overcome these obstacles ..read more

New research led by Qingyun Liu, PhD, assistant professor in the UNC Department of Genetics, has uncovered a genetic feature known as “transcriptional plasticity,” which plays a pivotal role in governing the transcriptional response of Mycobacteria to stressful conditions. Bacterial cells must swiftly modulate the expression of their genes to cope with abrupt changes in the external environment. However, the extent to which certain genes can alter their expression in response to environmental shifts, as opposed to maintaining stable expression levels, has long puzzled scientists. Understandin ..read more

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID has the unsettling ability of often generating variants of itself. Other viruses also mutate, but as SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread throughout the entire human population during the pandemic, killing millions, the virus’ dynamic evolution posed a serious problem: it repeatedly challenged our bodies’ immune response fighting the virus and hindered the process of getting updated vaccines ready. Understanding the genetic mechanism fueling SARS-CoV-2’s ability to generate variants can go a long way in keeping COVID at bay. In this study published in Nature M ..read more