Cell–cell interactions are key to all biological processes, but there hasn't been a good way to perform inter-cellular screens for genetic regulators of these interactions in vivo.
We developed match-seq (multiplexed associative tagging of cell interaction histories) - using engineered virus-like particles to transfer barcoded mRNAs from 'sender' to neighboring 'receiver' cells, so you can reconstruct cellular interactions with sequencing alone, no imaging required.
We coupled match-seq with CRISPR + scRNA-seq in cancer, revealing cancer-immune interaction neighborhoods at scale, and new cancer genes that can be targeted for tumor rejection via immune cell interactions.
Led by the brilliant
@peterdu_ with Bassik lab!
biorxiv.org/content/10.64898…
CRISPR screens are great at telling you what a gene is doing inside your cells. But what if you're interested in what's happening to its neighbors?
Today, I'm excited to share match-seq, a new method that deciphers cell-cell interactions using barcoded RNA transfer.
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