single-cell


Benchmarking atlas-level data integration in single-cell genomics

Single-cell atlases often include samples that span locations, laboratories and conditions, leading to complex, nested batch effects in data. Thus, joint analysis of atlas datasets requires reliable data integration. To guide integration method choice, we benchmarked 68 method and preprocessing combinations on 85 batches of gene expression, chromatin accessibility and simulation data from 23 publications, altogether representing >1.2 million cells distributed in 13 atlas-level integration tasks.


RNA velocity of single cells

Our next meeting will be at 1pm on Nov 12th, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is RNA velocity of single cells.
The abstract is as follows.

RNA abundance is a powerful indicator of the state of individual cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing can reveal RNA abundance with high quantitative accuracy, sensitivity and throughput. However, this approach captures only a static snapshot at a point in time, posing a challenge for the analysis of time-resolved phenomena such as embryogenesis or tissue regeneration. Here we show that RNA velocity—the time derivative of the gene expression state—can be directly estimated by distinguishing between unspliced and spliced mRNAs in common single-cell RNA sequencing protocols. RNA velocity is a high-dimensional vector that predicts the future state of individual cells on a timescale of hours. We validate its accuracy in the neural crest lineage, demonstrate its use on multiple published datasets and technical platforms, reveal the branching lineage tree of the developing mouse hippocampus, and examine the kinetics of transcription in human embryonic brain. We expect RNA velocity to greatly aid the analysis of developmental lineages and cellular dynamics, particularly in humans.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.


MATCHER: manifold alignment reveals correspondence between single cell transcriptome and epigenome dynamics

Our next meeting will be at 1pm on Oct 29th, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is MATCHER: manifold alignment reveals correspondence between single cell transcriptome and epigenome dynamics.
The abstract is as follows.

Single cell experimental techniques reveal transcriptomic and epigenetic heterogeneity among cells, but how these are related is unclear. We present MATCHER, an approach for integrating multiple types of single cell measurements. MATCHER uses manifold alignment to infer single cell multi-omic profiles from transcriptomic and epigenetic measurements performed on different cells of the same type. Using scM&T-seq and sc-GEM data, we confirm that MATCHER accurately predicts true single cell correlations between DNA methylation and gene expression without using known cell correspondences. MATCHER also reveals new insights into the dynamic interplay between the transcriptome and epigenome in single embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.


Alignment of single-cell trajectories to compare cellular expression dynamics

Our next meeting will be at 2pm on April 23rd, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is Alignment of single-cell trajectories to compare cellular expression dynamics.
The abstract is as follows.

Single-cell RNA sequencing and high-dimensional cytometry can be used to generate detailed trajectories of dynamic biological processes such as differentiation or development. Here we present cellAlign, a quantitative framework for comparing expression dynamics within and between single-cell trajectories. By applying cellAlign to mouse and human embryonic developmental trajectories, we systematically delineate differences in the temporal regulation of gene expression programs that would otherwise be masked.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.


Reconstruction of developmental landscapes by optimal-transport analysis of single-cell gene expression sheds light on cellular reprogramming.

Our next meeting will be at 11:00 on Nov 7th, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is Reconstruction of developmental landscapes by optimal-transport analysis of single-cell gene expression sheds light on cellular reprogramming.
The abstract is as follows.

Understanding the molecular programs that guide cellular differentiation during development is a major goal of modern biology. Here, we introduce an approach, WADDINGTON-OT, based on the mathematics of optimal transport, for inferring developmental landscapes, probabilistic cellular fates and dynamic trajectories from large-scale single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data collected along a time course. We demonstrate the power of WADDINGTON-OT by applying the approach to study 65,781 scRNA-seq profiles collected at 10 time points over 16 days during reprogramming of fibroblasts to iPSCs. We construct a high-resolution map of reprogramming that rediscovers known features; uncovers new alternative cell fates including neural- and placental-like cells; predicts the origin and fate of any cell class; highlights senescent-like cells that may support reprogramming through paracrine signaling; and implicates regulatory models in particular trajectories. Of these findings, we highlight Obox6, which we experimentally show enhances reprogramming efficiency. Our approach provides a general framework for investigating cellular differentiation.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.


Vicus: Exploiting local structures to improve network-based analysis of biological data

Our next meeting will be at 11:00 on Oct 24th, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is Vicus: Exploiting local structures to improve network-based analysis of biological data.
The abstract is as follows.

Biological networks entail important topological features and patterns critical to understanding interactions within complicated biological systems. Despite a great progress in understanding their structure, much more can be done to improve our inference and network analysis. Spectral methods play a key role in many network-based applications. Fundamental to spectral methods is the Laplacian, a matrix that captures the global structure of the network. Unfortunately, the Laplacian does not take into account intricacies of the network’s local structure and is sensitive to noise in the network. These two properties are fundamental to biological networks and cannot be ignored. We propose an alternative matrix Vicus. The Vicus matrix captures the local neighborhood structure of the network and thus is more effective at modeling biological interactions. We demonstrate the advantages of Vicus in the context of spectral methods by extensive empirical benchmarking on tasks such as single cell dimensionality reduction, protein module discovery and ranking genes for cancer subtyping. Our experiments show that using Vicus, spectral methods result in more accurate and robust performance in all of these tasks.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.


Reversed graph embedding resolves complex single-cell trajectories

Our next meeting will be at 11:00 on September 26th, in room 4160 of the Discovery building. Our Selected paper is Reversed graph embedding resolves complex single-cell trajectories.
The abstract is as follows.

Single-cell trajectories can unveil how gene regulation governs cell fate decisions. However, learning the structure of complex trajectories with multiple branches remains a challenging computational problem. We present Monocle 2, an algorithm that uses reversed graph embedding to describe multiple fate decisions in a fully unsupervised manner. We applied Monocle 2 to two studies of blood development and found that mutations in the genes encoding key lineage transcription factors divert cells to alternative fates.

We welcome all who can join us for this discussion. Feel free to begin that discussion in the comments section below.