By Monica Heger
Despite the technical challenges of single-cell sequencing, researchers have begun using the technique to better study single bacterial species from metagenomic samples.
The competition, part of a $7 million "Grand Challenges" program that Life Tech launched last year, will award a $1 million prize to the first SOLiD user who succeeds in sequencing the genome and transcriptome of a single cancer cell.
There are two main problems when it comes to sequencing single cells: Whole-genome amplification protocols do not amplify the genome in an unbiased manner, and PCR steps in library preparation introduce additional biases and errors.
By sequencing individual cells from primary and metastatic breast cancer samples and using this data to glean copy number patterns in the cells, researchers have gained insights into how these cancers evolved and spread.
In a letter, about two dozen researchers criticize the World Health Organization investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and call for a new inquiry, the Wall Street Journal reports.
