Single-cell RNA sequencing: A modern microscope - Horizons lecture by Rickard Sandberg

The lecture (held in english)
Recent advances in molecular analyses of individual cells are transforming modern biology and medicine. In a high-throughput and cost-effective manner, cells of any organ or tissue can nowadays be subjected to detailed molecular characterization that will identify the activity levels of genes within each cell. The molecular profiles of cells enables researchers to group cells into cell types and further characterize their activity states or identify novel sub-types. Single-cell RNA-sequencing is becoming the modern microscope where molecular insights into the unique activities of different cell types will be gained. It has now become realistic to identify all the cell types in various tissues (and even our whole body) and to map out how these cells are affected in pathological tissues. In this seminar I will describe the advances in our abilities to study gene activities in individual cells, and exemplify new insights in biology and medicine gained from such analyses, as well as discuss future developments and applications of this exciting technology.

Refreshments will be served before the lecture, which starts at 16.15 pm, on Thursday 10 of November in Egget at Studentsenteret. Everybody is welcome!

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Rickard Sandberg
Professor Rickard Sandberg, at Karolinska institutet, is one of the pioneers who have led the development of technologies for sequencing DNA and RNA from single cells. This is a revolutionary technology that gives us data for all genes that are active, cell, by cell. Before, we had to resort to data based on averages from many cells. Single-cell sequencing provides opportunities for finer classification of cell types in tissues and organs and e.g. cancer. But the technology also gives new insight in the mechanisms for reading DNA to generate RNA. Single-cell sequencing was selected as the Method of the Year 2013 by "Nature Methods" and Professor Sandberg has received several awards for his pioneering work, including the 2014 Anders Jahre's Medical Award for Young Scientists.

Joint event
This lecture is a collaboration between the Horizons lecture series and the Department of Molecular Biology and is the inaugural Kjell Kleppe Lecture. A seminar in the honor of professor Kjell Kleppe will be held just before the Horizons lecture at 15.15 PM.