Ancestry Network for the Human Cell Atlas of the Eye

The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying disease onset of visual disorders at different stages of adulthood remains largely elusive. To understand the contribution of genetic background to the human visual system, this group will generate data from diverse ancestral groups, as part of the Human Cell Atlas project.

This team plans to perform in-depth single-cell RNA-seq and single-cell ATAC-seq simultaneously along with single-cell spatial transcriptome and whole genome sequencing for 54 well-characterized eye tissue from historically underrepresented groups, including African American, Latinx, and Asian populations. The team leverages experience in single-cell genomics, spatial omics, bioinformatics and statistics, population genetics, ophthalmology and visual system research, and community outreach and engagement.

The new data will identify differences in cell subtype composition, gene expression, and pathway activity differences across ancestral groups systematically. Understanding the mechanism underlying these differences will provide important insight and form the foundation for future development of targeted therapies and precision medicine.