New genetic, imaging and microfluidics technologies for single cell genomics

Every cell in a tissue carries a unique history and location, but current single-cell genomics discards both. This project builds three technologies to recover that lost information: microfluidic devices that process tens of thousands to millions of cells per day instead of hundreds, genetic recording tools that write each cell's lineage into its own genome, and fluorescent tags that mark where in a tissue a cell came from. The problem is that existing single-cell methods are like reading a book after shredding it and mixing the pages. Researchers can sequence individual cells, but they cannot tell which cells were neighbours, which are descendants of the same parent, or how position influenced gene activity. Without that context, understanding how cells diversify during development or disease remains incomplete. If successful, these tools will let biologists map cell family trees directly onto tissue architecture at unprecedented scale. This is fundamental science—it will not immediately change a medical treatment or a manufacturing process. But similar advances in single-cell technology have already reshaped cancer biology and immunology. A deeper understanding of how cells coordinate their identities in space and time could eventually inform regenerative medicine, tumour classification, or tissue engineering.