Dec 18, 2020

Genomics Core Unveils New Capabilities

A new machine and set of reagents recently acquired by the Genomics Core Facility will enable researchers to go beyond bulk gene expression.

The Genomics Core Facility at University Park has a acquired the 10x Genomics Chromium. Utilizing the Chromium platform, Penn State researchers can now perform single cell gene expression experiments. The core facility staff has been trained on the instrument and is ready to accept customer samples. Customers will provide high viability, accurately counted, single cell suspensions. Using the Chromium, the facility staff can prepare RNA-seq libraries from 500 – 10,000 cells per sample. In addition, the Chromium can also be used to perform single cell ATAC (Assay for Transposase Accessible Chromatin). For this assay, customers will provide isolated nuclei and facility staff will prepare libraries using the Chromium. Libraries prepared for either single cell RNA-seq or single cell ATAC-seq can be sequenced on any Illumina sequencer.

The Genomics Core is now also supporting spatial transcriptomics using the 10x Genomics Visium reagents. Customers will section tissue onto Visium slides and perform a permeabilization. The permeabilized tissue sections will be provided to the core, and facility staff will prepare a library from each section. The libraries can be sequenced on any Illumina sequencer. Spatial indexing from the Visium slide allows gene expression to be associated with tissue morphology at 1- 10 cell resolution.

"With these two new technologies, PSU researchers can now go beyond simply studying gene expression in bulk RNA from cell populations or tissues," said Craig Praul, Director of the Genomics Core Facility. "They can now examine expression in single cells or restricted areas of tissues."

Please contact Craig Praul, cap142@psu.edu for additional information.