ShinyCortex: Exploring Single-Cell Transcriptome Data From the Developing Human Cortex

• Main Authors: Jorge Kageyama, Damian Wollny, Barbara Treutlein, J. Gray Camp
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2018-05-01
• Series: Frontiers in Neuroscience
• Subjects: single cell RNA sequencing; cortex development; organoids; corticogenesis; single-cell transcriptomics
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2018.00315/full

Single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a powerful method to identify and classify cell types and reconstruct differentiation trajectories within complex tissues, such as the developing human cortex. scRNA-seq data also enables the discovery of cell type-specific marker genes and genes that regulate developmental transitions. Here we provide a brief overview of how scRNA-seq has been shaping the study of human cortex development, and present ShinyCortex, a resource that brings together data from recent scRNA-seq studies of the developing cortex for further analysis. ShinyCortex is based in R and displays recently published scRNA-seq data from the human and mouse cortex in a comprehensible, dynamic and accessible way, suitable for data exploration by biologists.