Whole brain single cell RNA-sequencing used to understand memory and learning

ST NEOTS, U.K. - June 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Scientists in the Center for Neural Circuits and Behaviour at the University of Oxford have adopted Dolomite Bio's RNA-Seq System to support their research into cell diversity in fruit fly (Drosophila) brains. Dr Vincent Croset, a post-doc at the centre, explained: "The midbrain of the fly only contains 50,000 cells, which makes it ideal for single cell sequencing. We can analyse the whole brain in one experiment and compare different areas to identify and understand the neurons involved in memory and learning, typing them according to the neurotransmitter or neuromodulator that they produce. We are also interested in discovering new genes that are important in the formation of these neurons, as well as identifying neuropeptides and exploring dopamine pathways."

"We were introduced to the Drop-Seq protocol via the 2015 Macosko paper,¹ and we initially wanted to replicate the home-made set-up. However, we came across Dolomite Bio's RNA-Seq System – which looked a lot simpler to use – and were convinced to buy the platform in December 2016 after attending a workshop run by the company. The standardised protocols are straightforward to follow, and the system's high reproducibility allowed us to collect data for our most recent paper over a period of just eight days. It's amazing how quickly the technology in this field is advancing, and we are now investigating how we can expand the platform further. The new Nadia system, for example, offers more control, increased automation and a higher throughput."

Heike Fiegler, Vice President of Biology at Dolomite Bio, commented "We are delighted that our platform is enabling customers to generate high quality reproducible single cell data for the analysis of neurons used in memory and learning. We look forward to more research advances brought about by using our single cell technology."

Read the full paper: https://elifesciences.org/articles/34550


1.     Macosko EZ et al. Highly parallel genome-wide expression profiling of individual cells using nanoliter droplets. Cell, 2015, 161, 1202-1214.