Introduction: In vertebrate limb morphogenesis, wingless-related integration site (Wnt) proteins and fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) secreted from the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) coordinate proximodistal outgrowth. Fgfs also sustain sonic hedgehog (Shh) in the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA). Shh directs anteroposterior patterning and expansion and regulates AER-, establishing a positive regulatory feedback loop that is vital in sustaining limb outgrowth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiplexed error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (MERFISH) is a massively multiplexed single RNA-molecule imaging technique capable of spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomic profiling of thousands of genes in millions of cells within intact tissue slices. Initially introduced for brain tissues, MERFISH has since been extended to other tissues, where rapid RNA degradation during the preparation process can pose challenges. This protocol outlines the application of MERFISH in one such challenging tissue, the mammalian gastrointestinal tract.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate change has been recognized as a significant public health threat, and education is needed to allow health professionals to better care for their patients affected by climate-related conditions. Medical students concerned about their lack of preparedness to respond to its effects on patient health, created the Planetary Health Report Card, calling for the inclusion of planetary health education into curricula. Veterinary students similarly express their lack of readiness in this area for practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioinspir Biomim
February 2025
Resilience is a vital aspect of modern systems, especially in multi-agent systems, where faulted agents (agents who do not behave properly) can compromise system performance. In response to this need for resilience, we turn to biological inspiration. Eusocial insects are a subset of insects that have caste-based labor distribution and cooperative brood care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has advanced our understanding of cell types and their heterogeneity within the human liver, but the spatial organization at single-cell resolution has not yet been described. Here we apply multiplexed error robust fluorescent in situ hybridization (MERFISH) to map the zonal distribution of hepatocytes, spatially resolve subsets of macrophage and mesenchymal populations, and investigate the relationship between hepatocyte ploidy and gene expression within the healthy human liver. Integrating spatial information from MERFISH with the more complete transcriptome produced by single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), also reveals zonally enriched receptor-ligand interactions.
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