The long-term goals for the project are to be able to measure the expression of many genes in many individual cells in parallel, in order to obtain a molecular view of cellular diversity within tissues. The present objective is to develop a technique for attaining these long-term goals. The technique is based on performing RT-PCR on isolated cells embedded in a polyacrylamide gel. The PCR products are cross-linked to the gel and can be explored by hybridization with sequence-specific fluorescent probes. The knowledge of cellular diversity gained from this technique will contribute to human health by providing a detailed understanding of how normal as well diseased (particularly cancerous) tissues work, as well as aiding in the identification of therapeutic targets.

F32GM075503

2005-08-01

2008-07-31