Babbage from The Economist (subscriber edition)
The Human Cell Atlas: mapping the body's building blocks
Dec 4, 2024
Join Sarah Teichmann, a leading researcher from the University of Cambridge, and Muzlifah Haniffa, head of Cellogenomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, as they dive into the revolutionary Human Cell Atlas project. They discuss the astonishing diversity of human cells and how cutting-edge AI and sequencing technologies are enabling scientists to map these cells meticulously. The conversation also explores the potential for creating digital twins for predicting treatment responses and the exciting future of lab-grown organs in medicine.
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Quick takeaways
- The Human Cell Atlas project aims to comprehensively catalog over 30 trillion human cells, revolutionizing our understanding of health and disease.
- Advanced techniques like single-cell sequencing and spatial mapping are crucial for uncovering specific cell functions and enhancing medical research outcomes.
Deep dives
The Human Genome Project's Legacy
The Human Genome Project, completed over 20 years ago, marked a significant milestone in genetics by unraveling the human genome. This foundational work was pivotal for subsequent research, as it provided a reference genome that researchers could use to understand genetic variations among individuals. Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute contributed to one-third of this project and expressed immense pride in their role. Today, they build upon this legacy by investigating the complexities of human biology through initiatives like the Human Cell Atlas.
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