01Limits of destructive methods
Destructive measurement,no subsequent observation.
Many methods in molecular biology require cells to be destroyed for measurement. This also applies to omics approaches that comprehensively profile intracellular molecules, including the now widely used single-cell RNA-seq. Although these methods reveal a cell's state in detail, they cannot show how that same cell changes afterward. Arranging measurements from different cells along a time axis does not directly reveal the path an individual living cell followed from past to present to future.
02Following the same individual
Repeated molecular measurementsfrom the same individual.
To address this limitation, our laboratory developed Live-cell Transcriptomics based on non-destructive extraction of intracellular RNA. By collecting RNA repeatedly from the same cell or embryo at intervals, we record changes that actually occur within that individual, rather than arranging measurements from different individuals. These measurements reveal how molecular states change along each individual's trajectory.
03Connecting to future outcomes
Linking molecular trajectoriesto future outcomes.
We continue observing the same individual after measurement, linking its early molecular states to differences in development or behavior that emerge later. Working backward from observed outcomes along molecular trajectories, we investigate how early differences relate to subsequent changes. We also manipulate gene expression to test causal relationships, aiming to understand how molecular differences give rise to individual differences in traits.
