A Spatial and Lineage Atlas of Bone Marrow Hematopoiesis

This project aims to build the hematopoietic human cell atlas (focusing on blood production) with single cell transcriptomics, multiplexed spatial imaging data, and a pilot lineage-tracing map in vitro. The resulting datasets will be presented via a portal for exploration and data analysis in the context of the wider Human Cell Atlas.

To construct a more representative atlas, this group will include bone marrow samples from donors of African descent. Understanding the bone marrow is important because most of our blood cells derive from stem cells that reside in the marrow, and its regulation is important for maintaining balance and composition in the immune system. Blood count ranges are routinely used to diagnose disease and have historically been developed by sampling mostly individuals of European descent. As individuals of African descent exhibit significantly different blood counts, building more representative blood count ranges could help improve outcomes for diseases, such as early-stage breast cancer in African American women.

This Network was awarded the CZI Seed Networks Incentive to Support Diversity for the Human Cell Atlas.

The group extended development of SABER-FISH, a tool to amplify the signal of multiplexed in situ fluorescence staining experiments. Single-cell sequencing data from healthy bone marrow aspirates is in progress.