Genomics Studies Published

In collaboration with the Samee lab at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), our group at BCM and Texas Heart Institute has developed a computer algorithm-based model to identify cell types in the mouse brain. Our recent study published in Cell Systems reveals that cell type assignment in spatial transcriptomics (ST) data can be improved by integrating ST with single nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data. Notably, we observed a high spatial variation of cell localization and intercellular communication mechanisms within well-defined morphological layers of the brain. In other words, spatially localized subpopulations of cells (marked by specific gene networks) exist within an entire layer of tissue. Combining ST with snRNA-seq, the models we use now provide outstanding rigor for our ongoing experiments and will be used in our research program to elucidate tissue architecture in the healthy and diseased heart.