One cell at a time

This year, as we celebrate 25 years since the first publication of the human genome in Science and Nature, the 15th CNAG Symposium on Genome Research will explore two fields that have contributed enormously to the transformation of biomedical research: single-cell and spatial genomics. Today, we can not only sequence 200 human genomes in just 24 hours, but also analyse individual cells at unprecedented resolution and, moreover, study them in their precise location within intact tissues.
 
This edition, the CNAG Symposium will bring together more than ten experts in single-cell and spatial genomics to explore how these approaches are transforming our understanding of human biology and disease. The programme will span topics ranging from Human Cell Atlases and predictive models of human biology to mucosal immunity, neuro-Long COVID, pancreatic cancer, brain tumours and the ageing and rejuvenation of blood-forming stem cells.
 
Speakers will also explore how spatial and single-cell technologies are helping researchers understand the organisation of tissues, from the reference architecture of lymphoid organs to the dynamics of chromosomes within individual cells. Together, these perspectives highlight how studying biology at the level of individual cells and their precise location within tissues is opening new avenues for biomedical research.