Why sequence single cells?

There are mainly three aspects: First, the sample size is relatively small, such as some CTC cells (circulating tumor cells), which are relatively small in number and require special amplification to meet sequencing requirements.

Second, tissues are heterogeneous. For example, when we sequence cancer tissues, it is difficult to ensure that all tissue cells are cancer cells when sampling.

Third, during embryonic development, study the changes in the genome, transcriptome, or epigenetics during development.

For example, when using 8 cells, look at the differential expression or methylation profiles of genes from the parents.