Studying transcriptional interactions in single cells at sufficient resolution

Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2011 Feb;22(1):81-6. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2010.10.004. Epub 2010 Nov 10.

Abstract

Our ability to dissect and understand the principles of gene regulatory circuits is partly limited by the resolution of our experimental assays. In this brief review, we discuss aspects of gene expression in microbial organisms apparent only when increasing the experimental resolution from populations to single cells and sub-cellular structures, from snap-shots to high-speed time-lapse movies and from molecular ensembles to single molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria
  • Gene Expression*
  • Gene Regulatory Networks*
  • Limit of Detection
  • Microfluidics / methods
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Microscopy, Video
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Molecular Probes / chemistry
  • Molecular Probes / metabolism*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • Single-Cell Analysis / methods*

Substances

  • Molecular Probes