Single-cell omics: Cellular functions

Classic cell analysis is generally performed using large cell populations and represents a weighted average of a very variable bulk of cells. Differently, single-cell multiomics technologies investigate the genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity of bulk tissue, providing deeper information regarding each single-cell and its relative cellular functions. By combining different single-cell assays with omics technologies, the individual genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of single cells can be examined in detail, analyzing both intracellular functions and intercellular interactions and dissecting the mingled regulatory mechanisms evident only at single-cell resolution. The combination of single-cell analysis and multiomics technologies provides a powerful strategy that integrates a systems biology approach with the new discoveries derived from cellular heterogeneity. This pairing elucidates cellular function mechanisms and holds remarkable promise for both basic biological research and medicine.