Spatial Transcriptomics Drives A New Era in Plant and Animal Research
The plant and animal community lags far behind human and other model animal research fields concerning the application of single-cell methodologies. This is primarily due to the challenges associated with plant tissue dissection and the limitations of the available technologies for non-model animals. However, recent advances in spatial transcriptomics enable the study of single cells derived from plant and animal tissues from a spatial perspective.
This technology is already successfully used to identify cell types, reconstruct cell-fate lineages, and reveal cell-to-cell interactions. Future technological advancements will overcome the challenges in sample processing, data analysis, and the integration of multiple-omics technologies.
Thanks to spatial transcriptomics, we anticipate several plant and animal research projects to significantly advance our understanding of critical aspects of plant biology.
