Single-Cell Biology

Single-cell biology is the application of technologies that enable multi-omics investigation at the level of the building block of life, a single cell. By accelerating the development and application of single-cell tools and technologies, we can better understand how disease manifests in the body’s cells and tissues.

Single-cell biology is relevant to all cells in all tissues, and the field is generating data at a nearly unprecedented rate. Developing new analytical methods can help the scientific community store, analyze, and explore these rich data types.

An immunofluorescence image of the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum (CZI Single-Cell Biology).
An immunofluorescence image of the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. Photo provided by Emma Lundberg, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
An immunofluorescence image of the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. Photo provided by Emma Lundberg, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.
The single-cell biology program has funded the following RFAs:

CZ CELLxGENE

Built by our science technology team, Chan Zuckerberg CELL by GENE (CZ CELLxGENE) is an open source tool that allows scientists to explore and visualize high-dimensional single-cell datasets to more quickly surface important information that could lead to discoveries in treating disease. It also comprises the largest corpus of standardized single-cell datasets. Learn more at czcellxgene.org.

CZI’s Support for the Human Cell Atlas

How can we cure, prevent, or manage all diseases? The Human Cell Atlas (HCA) is a global, scientist-led collaboration to map and characterize all cells in the healthy human body as a resource for scientific studies of health and disease. We contribute to the HCA in several ways, including supporting development of a data coordination platform, building computational tools, and grantmaking that enables methods development and data generation. Learn more about the Human Cell Atlas.

Immune cells and microbes interacting across the fragile, one-cell thick gut lining of a fruit fly (CZI Single-Cell Biology).
New technology lets scientists peer inside living fruit flies, allowing them to watch immune cells and gut microbes interact across the gut's fragile, one-cell thick lining. Photo provided by Lucy Erin O'Brien, Stanford University.
New technology lets scientists peer inside living fruit flies, allowing them to watch immune cells and gut microbes interact across the gut's fragile, one-cell thick lining. Photo provided by Lucy Erin O'Brien, Stanford University.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural defense that helps our bodies maintain a healthy state, but chronic inflammation results in harmful diseases like asthma, arthritis, and heart disease. We fund scientists to study the role of inflammation in maintaining health and triggering diseases so that we can better diagnose, treat, and manage them.

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Learn About Our Grantees

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Single Cell Biology Team

Advisory Board

Titus Brown, University of California, Davis (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Titus Brown University of California, Davis
Cherie Butts, Biogen (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Cherie Butts Biogen
Vivian Cheung, University of Michigan (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Vivian Cheung University of Michigan
Keolu Fox, University of California, San Diego (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Keolu Fox University of California, San Diego
Melody S. Goodman, New York University (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Melody S. Goodman New York University
Latifa Jackson, Howard University (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Latifa Jackson Howard University
Molly Maleckar, Simula Research Laboratory (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Molly Maleckar Simula Research Laboratory
Jay Shendure, University of Washington, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Jay Shendure University of Washington, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Nelson Spruston, HHMI Janelia Research Campus (Advisory Board, CZI Single-Cell Biology).
Nelson Spruston HHMI Janelia Research Campus
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