Ultrahigh throughput total transcriptomics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Biochemistry
Abstract
Having submitted a patent (supported by Cambridge
Enterprise, UCAM's technology transfer office) we now want to explore a detailed commercialization pathway, including a strategy to
target markets and customers, further exploration of the IP landscape and draft business plans for various scenarios to quantify their
viability as revenue streams. In proof-of concept experiments we will increase throughput and data quality to assess and showcase
the future potential of VASA-drop in an extended microfluidic workflow. Finally we will define a new area of application by exploring
how VASA-drop can be used as a quality control readout for cell culture experiments.
Enterprise, UCAM's technology transfer office) we now want to explore a detailed commercialization pathway, including a strategy to
target markets and customers, further exploration of the IP landscape and draft business plans for various scenarios to quantify their
viability as revenue streams. In proof-of concept experiments we will increase throughput and data quality to assess and showcase
the future potential of VASA-drop in an extended microfluidic workflow. Finally we will define a new area of application by exploring
how VASA-drop can be used as a quality control readout for cell culture experiments.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Florian Hollfelder (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Siriwardena D
(2024)
Marmoset and human trophoblast stem cells differ in signaling requirements and recapitulate divergent modes of trophoblast invasion
in Cell Stem Cell
| Description | Comprehensive analysis of the many processes occurring in a cell is possible by analysing the total transcriptome.To reflect individual cell states, this approach can be carried out at the single cells level. We have developed VASA-drop and applied it the developing mouse embryo during gastrulation and early organogenesis, where the total transcriptome of over 30,000 single cells could be read out. Notably our data demonstrated unbiased characterization of cellular subpopulations: most methods amplify the termini of polyadenylated transcripts, capturing only a small fraction of the total cellular transcriptome. This had precluded the detection of many long non-coding, short non-coding and non-polyadenylated protein-coding transcripts. Additionally, most workflows do not sequence the full transcript hindering the analysis of alternative splicing. Total RNA-seq methods improve the completeness of RNA biotypes by including coding and non-coding, spliced and unspliced RNAs across their length. We now improved the practical implementation of this approach, to make this single-cell transcriptomic technology that can resolve, with full gene body coverage, the full spectrum of RNA types and splice events in large populations of single cells to many more users. By delivering improved price, quantity and quality of transcriptomic data output for analysis of thousands of cell in miniaturized volumes in picoliter emulsion droplets VASA-drop provides a commercial prospect that was backed up with additional examples and improvement of robust practical procedures for its implementation. |
| Exploitation Route | We have developed business plans with alternative value propositions, i.e. with focus on (i) a service model; (ii) a commercial instrument; (iii) data harvesting. Feedback suggest that all three are viable. |
| Sectors | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | We are seeking funding for a spin-out company and have presented our technology to interested parties and competitions. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |