New Method for Genome Annotation Using Single-Cell Sequencing
Hope Healey and Susan Bassham have published an innovative method in Genetics that dramatically improves genome annotation for non-model organisms using single-cell sequencing technologies.
The Challenge
Genome annotation - identifying genes and their functions - remains a major bottleneck for studying non-model organisms. Traditional methods often miss genes expressed only in specific cell types or developmental stages.
Our Solution
The team developed a pipeline combining: - Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) for cell-type-specific expression - Long-read Iso-Sequencing for full-length transcripts - Custom computational tools for integration
This approach identified hundreds of previously unannotated genes in the threespine stickleback genome, improving our ability to study cell-type-specific gene expression.
Applications
The method is particularly valuable for: - Evolutionary developmental biology studies - Understanding cell-type evolution - Improving genome resources for ecological model systems
Publication: Healey HM, Bassham S, Cresko WA (2022). Single-cell Iso-Sequencing enables rapid genome annotation for scRNAseq analysis. Genetics 220(3):iyac017.