Defining cell type and cell state. What can we learn from the soybean single-cell transcriptome atlas?

Soybean (Glycine max) is an essential source of protein and oil with high nutritional value for human and animal consumption. To enhance our understanding of the biology of the soybean plant, we present “Tabula Glycine”, the soybean single-cell resolution transcriptome atlas that includes the transcriptome of nearly 120,000 nuclei isolated from 10 different organs and clustered in 156 cell types based on their distinctive transcriptomic profiles.  We found that a cell type is defined by a “biological” transcriptional component shared between cell clusters with similar function, and an “organ” transcriptional component that serves as a signature of the organ of origin of the cell type. We also observed that the combinatorial transcriptional activities of transcription factors are sufficient to define most cell types and their origin, supporting the idea that a small number of TFs define plant cell identity.

11:50 am- Snacks & Socializing
noon- Talk Begins