Science cover!

On September 2, 2022, the first spatiotemporal map of salamander brain regeneration led by the BGI Research Institute was published in the top international academic journal Science as a back-to-back cover article.

Based on BGI's Stereo-seq technology, the research team systematically analyzed and compared the development and regeneration of salamander brains, found key neural stem cell subsets in the process of salamander brain regeneration, and described the remodeling of such stem cell subsets In the process of damaging neurons, it is also found that brain regeneration and development have certain similarities, providing assistance for cognitive brain structure and development, and providing new directions for regenerative medicine research and treatment of the nervous system

So far, in just half a year, BGI's results related to spatiotemporal omics and single-cell technology have been published in the three top journals "Cell", "Nature" and "Science" for four consecutive times.

The Mexican axolotl used in this study is a type of salamander, also known as a hexagonal dinosaur.

 "In addition to its strong regenerative ability, salamanders are evolutionarily higher than other teleost fishes and have a higher similarity to mammalian brain structure

In this study, a research team composed of BGI and other units first constructed a spatiotemporal map of salamander brain development covering 6 important developmental periods, showing the molecular characteristics of various neurons and dynamic changes in spatial distribution.

In order to study the regeneration process of salamander brain injury, the research team performed mechanical injury surgery on the cortical area of ​​salamander brain, and performed 7 time points of regeneration (2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 60 after injury).

By comparing the neuron formation process during the development and regeneration of the salamander brain, the researchers found that this process is highly similar in the process of regeneration and development, suggesting that brain injury may induce the reverse transformation of the salamander neural stem cells, returning to the rejuvenation of the developmental period status to start the regeneration process

"This research is mainly based on Stereo-seq, a spatiotemporal omics technology independently developed by BGI, which achieves nanoscale subcellular resolution.

"The construction of a spatiotemporal cell map of salamander brain development and regeneration is of great significance for us to understand the important life process of brain regeneration, the brain structure of amphibians and the evolution of brain structure, and to find effective clinical treatment methods for us to promote human beings.

This research is led by Hangzhou BGI Life Sciences Research Institute, in conjunction with Shenzhen BGI Life Sciences Research Institute, Qingdao BGI Genetics Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, South China Normal University, Wuhan University, School of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Bay The laboratory, the Whitehead Biomedical Research Institute in the United States, and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and 17 units from China, the United States, and Denmark, and 17 units from three countries cooperated to complete the project

Article link:

Single-cell Stereo-seq reveals induced progenitor cells involved in axolotl brain regeneration