Shared Resource Core: Single Cell Analysis

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The Cancer Systems Biology Center will develop a new core, the Single-Cell Analysis Core. This core will provide technical, bioinformatic, and training support for the Center. Cancers represent heterogeneous collections of cells interacting within the cancer, but also affecting the host through systemic signaling and metastatic expansion. High-throughput sequencing of single cells provides direct insight into the complexity of the cancer cell population. The high-throughput, but noisy data generated from single- cell experiments presents new challenges to investigators. Similar to the advent of other breakthrough technologies, diverse approaches and innovative analysis must accompany technological development. The goal of Core technical support is to make cost-effective high-throughput analysis of single cells optimal for and accessible to each of the three Projects. Technical support will consist of providing staff and instrument infrastructure, as well as advising on design of experimental strategies, facilitating sharing of protocols for process development; providing single-cell services including microscopy, protein localization, cell sorting, library production, and sequencing; and working with investigators to innovate in these technologies. The goal of bioinformatic support by the Core is to develop analysis pipelines optimized as appropriate for the three main Projects; mediate active sharing of data from the projects through uniform reporting standards and a shared server; and finally fostering awareness of technological advances within the Center and throughout the broader systems and cancer communities. Training support for the Center is one of the most critical Core functions, necessitated by the challenging pace of technological change. The Core will advise and survey Center members as to target areas for workshops open to students, fellows, staff, and faculty. Workshops will range in focus from wet bench workshops for cell isolation and sorting; custom library production, C1 and Chromium platform walk-up use, and microscopic screening of cell samples for sequencing to bioinformatic workshops on single-cell commercial software (C1 Fluidigm software; Cell Ranger; and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis etc.) and open source analysis software and statistical packages for single cells. Finally, the Single-Cell Analysis Core will establish a biweekly Cancer Single-Cell Research Meeting in which both current literature and research in progress will be discussed. The new Single-Cell Analysis Core will promote and integrate the progress of the three research Projects.