Parse Biosciences, a leading provider of easy-to-use and scalable single-cell sequencing solutions, today announced that a groundbreaking study published in Science used Parse’s single-cell technology to reveal how signaling pathways drive the formation of multiple neuronal subtypes. By linking specific signals to cell fate outcomes, this research provides a powerful framework for generating specific cell types in vitro, which has broad implications for human biology, disease, and therapeutic development.
The experiment was led by principal investigators Dr. Barbara Treutlein, Director of the Quantitative Developmental Biology Laboratory at ETH Zurich, and Dr. Gray Camp, Group Leader at the Roche Institute of Human Biology.
The research team used a carefully designed screening method to study 480 morphogens in 700,000 cells, exploring how different morphogens interact with neural precursor transcription factors to generate pure lines of different types of neurons from pluripotent stem cells. This work will guide and help the neuroscience research community to cultivate pure neuronal cell populations, and help deepen our understanding of cell types and cell-cell interactions associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
“We were amazed at the diversity of neurons we generated, and the data enabled us to develop algorithms to explore the causes of this diversity,” Treutlein said. “The flexibility, scale, and quality of Parse Biosciences’ technology will allow us to explore these complex cellular processes at a deeper level.”
The beauty of this study is that the core strategies, methods, and analyses are applicable to program and explore any cell type and state in any organ system and species,” Camp said. “We are excited that Parse’s technology is enabling this research.
“We are excited to support this highly impactful research from the labs of Dr. Treutlein and Dr. Camp and eagerly await the inspiration their discoveries will bring to the broader research community,” said Charlie Roco, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Parse Biosciences.
About Parse Biosciences
Parse Biosciences is a global life sciences company whose mission is to accelerate human health and scientific research. The company enables researchers to perform single-cell sequencing at unprecedented scale and convenience, enabling groundbreaking advances in cancer treatment, tissue repair, stem cell therapy, kidney and liver disease, brain development, and the immune system through innovative experimental approaches.
With technology developed by co-founders Alex Rosenberg and Charles Roco at the University of Washington, Parse has raised more than $100 million in funding and has more than 3,000 customers worldwide. Its expanding product portfolio includes: Evercode™ Whole Transcriptome, Evercode™ TCR, Evercode™ BCR, Gene Select, and data analysis solution Trailmaker™.
Parse Biosciences is headquartered in Seattle’s vibrant South Lake Union neighborhood, where it recently expanded to a new headquarters and state-of-the-art laboratories. To learn more, visit https://www.parsebiosciences.com/ .
