Cell-to-cell variability in gene expression exists even in a homogeneous population of cells. Dissecting such cellular heterogeneity within a biological system is a prerequisite for understanding how a biological system is developed, homeostatically regulated, and responds to external perturbations. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) allows the quantitative and unbiased characterization of cellular heterogeneity by providing genome-wide molecular profiles from tens of thousands of individual cells. Single-cell sequencing is expanding to combine genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic features with environmental cues from the same single cell. In this talk, I demonstrate how scRNA-seq can be applied to dissect cellular heterogeneity and plasticity of adipose tissue, and discuss related computational challenges.
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