page_title: Single cell sequencing
section_title: Applications
hierarchical_section_title: Single cell sequencing / Single-cell DNA methylome sequencing / Applications
caption_attribution_description: English: Comparison of single cell methylation sequencing methods in terms of coverage as at 2015
context_page_description: Single cell sequencing examines the sequence information from individual cells with optimized next-generation sequencing technologies, providing a higher resolution of cellular differences and a better understanding of the function of an individual cell in the context of its microenvironment. For example, in cancer, sequencing the DNA of individual cells can give information about mutations carried by small populations of cells. In development, sequencing the RNAs expressed by individual cells can give insight into the existence and behavior of different cell types. In microbial systems, a population of the same species can appear to be genetically clonal, but single-cell sequencing of RNA or epigenetic modifications can reveal cell-to-cell variability that may help populations rapidly adapt to survive in changing environments.
context_section_description: Single-cell DNA methylation sequencing has been widely used to explore epigenetic differences in genetically similar cells. To validate these methods during their development, the single-cell methylome data of a mixed population were successfully classified by hierarchal clustering to identify distinct cell types. Another application is studying single cells during the first few cell divisions in early development to understand how different cell types emerge from a single embryo. Single-cell whole genome bisulfite sequencing has also been used to study rare but highly active cell types in cancer such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs).
caption: Comparison of single cell methylation sequencing methods in terms of coverage as at 2015 on Mus musculus
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