Especially in cancer, acquired genetic alterations due to carcinogenic exposure and DNA replication infidelity play a key role in its initiation. As the tumor grows, these alterations lead to clones of the tumor with distinct genetic alterations (such as SNVs, CNVs and indels). This heterogeneity within the tumor is vital to tumor development, proliferation and metastatic potential. Furthermore, heterogeneity within the tumor plays a key role in therapy resistance. Investigating the (epi)genome of single cells is therefore important to understand heterogeneity within the tumor.
In recent years many novel sequencing technologies have been established in the research groups of Alexander van Oudenaarden and Geert Kops. These new technologies enable the quantification of the heterogeneity mentioned earlier. To make this technology widely available, Single-Cell Core was launched in September 2020. This facility offers a series of state-of-the-art single-cell genome sequencing technologies (scWGS, scChIC-seq and scKaryo-seq). Single-Cell Core, made possible by the Oncode Institute, will lower the barrier for researchers to perform these experiments, which require high technical expertise. This will enable researchers to access (epi)genomic detection in single cells.
Interested in other Oncode Institute technologies and facilities? Visit their website and find out more!