High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics on organoids

Three-dimensional (3D) tissues grown in culture from human stem cells offer the incredible opportunity to analyze and manipulate human development, and to generate patient specific models of disease. Methods to sequence DNA and RNA in single cells are being used to analyze these so-called 'organoid' systems in high-resolution. Single-cell transcriptomics has been used to quantitate the similarity of organoid cells to primary tissue counterparts in the brain, intestine, liver, and kidney, as well as identify cell-specific responses to environmental variables and disease conditions. The merging of these two technologies, single-cell genomics and organoids, will have profound impact on personalized medicine in the near future.