What You'll Learn

Single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) has revolutionized our ability to study genetic variation at the cellular level, enabling insights that are obscured by traditional bulk sequencing methods, which averages signals across many cells. This single-cell approach is essential for detecting rare genetic variations, such as mutations or structural changes, that may exist in only a few cells and be undetectable by bulk methods. The development of scDNA-seq has been driven by the need to explore this hidden genomic diversity. One of its most important applications is in cancer research, where it allows detection of rare mutations, clonal evolution, and tumor heterogeneity, crucial for understanding treatment resistance and disease progression, and deciding on tailored treatment plans, also called personalized medicine. The broad applications of scDNA-seq spans across various biological fields, including somatic mutation and mosaicism, development, fertility, cancer, epigenetics, genome organization, and microbiology. Future applications are expected to expand into areas like forensic science, environmental monitoring, plant biology, and immunology. For example, scDNA-seq can separate DNA mixtures in forensic samples or map genetic crossover events in plants. Despite current technical limitations—such as challenges in amplifying single copies of DNA per cell—the field is rapidly evolving. As technologies become more scalable and accessible, including in clinical settings, scDNA-seq is poised to unlock deeper insights into genome function and disease, offering unprecedented resolution into biology at the single-cell level. Nucleic acid quantity and purity assessment, before amplification and library preparation, is a very crucial step in the way towards efficient scDNA-seq. Accurate measurement ensures sufficient, uncontaminated DNA is available for downstream processing, reducing errors and improving sequencing quality. It helps validate sample integrity in low-input, single-cell workflows. Parallelly, cell counting in scDNA-seq ensures accurate input of single cells for analysis, critical for maintaining single-cell resolution. It helps optimize cell loading for microfluidic or droplet-based systems, prevents doublets, and ensures sufficient throughput. Precise cell quantification improves data quality and consistency across experiments. Join our session to explore how our spectroscopy and cell counting instruments work hand in hand to ensure efficient single cell isolation and quality and quantity assessment of DNA in pre-processing for scDNA-sequencing. Seize the moment to become a part of the future of medicine. Secure your spot- register now!”