Why is Single-Cell Analysis Important in Cancer Research?
Traditional bulk RNA-sequencing captures the average gene expression profile of a population of cells, which can obscure critical differences between individual cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows researchers to study gene expression at the resolution of individual cells, providing insights into cellular heterogeneity and the identification of rare cell populations. This is crucial in cancer research as it enables the identification of subpopulations of cancer cells, understanding of the tumor microenvironment, and the exploration of mechanisms of drug resistance.
