Affiliations 

  • 1 Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • 2 Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Int J Stem Cells, 2024 Nov 30;17(4):347-362.
PMID: 38531607 DOI: 10.15283/ijsc23170

Abstract

Stem cells and the cells they produce are unique because they vary from one cell to another. Traditional methods of studying cells often overlook these differences. However, the development of new technologies for studying individual cells has greatly changed biological research in recent years. Among these innovations, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) stands out. This technique allows scientists to examine the activity of genes in each cell, across thousands or even millions of cells. This makes it possible to understand the diversity of cells, identify new types of cells, and see how cells differ across different tissues, individuals, species, times, and conditions. This paper discusses the importance of scRNA-seq and the computational tools and software that are essential for analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by scRNA-seq studies. Our goal is to provide practical advice for bioinformaticians and biologists who are using scRNA-seq to study stem cells. We offer an overview of the scRNA-seq field, including the tools available, how they can be used, and how to present the results of these studies effectively. Our findings include a detailed overview and classification of tools used in scRNA-seq analysis, based on a review of 2,733 scientific publications. This review is complemented by information from the scRNA-tools database, which lists over 1,400 tools for analyzing scRNA-seq data. This database is an invaluable resource for researchers, offering a wide range of options for analyzing their scRNA-seq data.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.