Equally to genes, cells don’t act in isolation however work in coordinated modules. This Commentary discusses a turning level in cell biology, the place single-cell applied sciences have enabled approaching cells as mobile modules.
Twenty years in the past, molecular biology transitioned from predominantly learning genes as remoted parts to viewing them as a part of complicated modules, giving rise to the sphere of techniques biology. This transition was made attainable by technological advances that allowed to concurrently measure the expression ranges of 1000’s of genes in a single experiment and drove a shift towards analyses figuring out gene units, modules, and pathways concerned in a organic technique of curiosity. At this time we’re excitingly dealing with an analogous turning level in cell biology, the place single-cell applied sciences have enabled us to strategy cells as mobile modules.
