Spatial transcriptomics characterization of the aging mouse brain

National Institute On Aging

Investigators

Abstract

A custom 500-gene probe panel was successfully designed, generated, and acquired for MERSCOPE-based spatial transcriptomics. This enables us to not only perform subcellular visualization of selected transcripts within individual cells but also quantitatively assess their expression levels in a spatial context. The panel is being used to generate MERSCOPE spatial transcriptomics data from the brains of young and old mice. Advanced data analysis will test the ability of a minimal set of 454 optimal cell type classification markers within this panel to confidently distinguish between the 338 mouse brain cell types previously described in the Allen Brain Cell (ABC) Atlas, and further characterize age-associated cell type changes in the mouse brain. By precisely identifying and localizing cell type-specific markers from this optimal classification set, researchers can gain valuable insights into how cellular functions and interactions change with age.