This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated for clarity and readability.
RIGA, Latvia, November 26, 2019 – MGI announced a global collaboration to sequence and analyze 10 million cells to build a comprehensive single-cell transcriptome map for the scientific community.
Launch of the 10 Million Single-Cell Transcriptome Project (scT10M)
The scT10M Project was launched during the opening ceremony of MGI Latvia and the China-Europe Life Health Innovation Center in Riga. Scientists aim to use single-cell RNA sequencing of 10 million cells to digitalize life at single-cell resolution, improving understanding of human health, disease, systems biology, evolution, development and biodiversity.
Prof. Miguel Angel Esteban Barragan, Professor at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the importance of collaboration: “It is only by working together that we will achieve the ambitious goals of this project.”
Advancing Single-Cell Technology
The rapid growth of single-cell sequencing has advanced understanding of genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional heterogeneity within cell populations. Yet knowledge gaps remain regarding cell types, states and relationships during development and disease.
MGI’s DNA Nanoball (DNB) technology, combined with spatial and cell barcoding, enables ultra-high throughput single-cell profiling (1 million cells per batch). Dr Radoje (Rade) Drmanac, Chief Scientific Officer of Complete Genomics, noted the scT10M Project will sequence and analyze cells from tissues, organs and cell models of humans and other species over the next two years, creating a publicly available single-cell map.
Research Applications and Open Collaboration
The project will support research in cancer biology, neuroscience, immunology, cell development, regeneration, disease mechanisms, drug screening, biomarker discovery, aging and evolution. Phase 1 – mapping 10 million cells – is expected to complete by the end of 2021.
