title: Quantitative single-cell approaches to stem cell research.
abstract: Understanding the molecular control of cell fates is central to stem cell research. Such insight requires quantification of molecular and cellular behavior at the single-cell level. Recent advances now permit high-throughput molecular readouts from single cells as well as continuous, noninvasive observation of cell behavior over time. Here, we review current state-of-the-art approaches used to query stem cell fate at the single-cell level, including advances in lineage tracing, time-lapse imaging, and molecular profiling. We also offer our perspective on the advantages and drawbacks of available approaches, key technical limitations, considerations for data interpretation, and future innovation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etzrodt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endele
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: timm.schroeder@bsse.ethz.ch.
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schroeder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D057905:Stem Cell Research; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation