How Cell Atlases Are Revolutionizing Our Understanding of Life - Stephen Quake, Stanford University

Imagine having a complete map of every type of cell in your body—knowing not just what each cell looks like, but what genes it uses, what functions it performs, and how it communicates with its neighbors. This vision is becoming reality through ambitious cell atlas projects, with the Tabula Sapiens standing as one of the most comprehensive maps of human cells ever created. In this talk, I will take you on a journey from the traditional way we've studied human biology—looking at bulk tissues like examining a smoothie to guess its ingredients—to the revolutionary single-cell approach that lets us examine each "ingredient" individually. The Tabula Sapiens represents a monumental achievement in biological cartography, cataloging millions of individual cells across 24 human organs from the same donors. This coordination is crucial: for the first time, we can see how a liver cell from one person relates to their heart cell, their brain cell, and their immune cells, creating an integrated view of human cellular diversity. I will explain how we created this atlas using cutting-edge technology that reads the active genetic instructions in individual cells, much like capturing the specific recipe each cell is following at a moment in time. We will explore how this massive dataset reveals that your body contains hundreds of distinct cell types, each with specialized roles that make human life possible. ​​​​​​​An exciting frontier emerging from the Tabula Sapiens is the possibility of creating "virtual cells"—computer models that accurately simulate how real cells behave. Just as weather models help us predict storms by simulating atmospheric conditions, virtual cells could help us predict how our bodies respond to diseases, drugs, and aging. I will demonstrate how researchers are using the Tabula Sapiens data to build these computational cells, starting with the genetic "parts list" from the atlas and adding layers of understanding about how these parts work together. These virtual cells aren't just academic exercises; they're becoming powerful tools for drug discovery, allowing scientists to test thousands of potential treatments on computer models before ever entering a laboratory. 🔔Don’t forget to subscribe:    / @dassaultsystemes   🔔Dassault Systèmes official website: https://www.3ds.com/ 🔔Learn more about what Dassault Systèmes do: https://www.3ds.com/about/company/wha... 🤳 Follow us! 🤳 💡LinkedIn:   / dassaultsystemes   💡TikTok:   / dassaultsystemes   💡Instagram:   / dassaultsystemes   💡X:   / dassault3ds   💡Facebook:   / dassaultsystemes   #3DS #3DEXPERIENCE #DassaultSystèmes #AI #Cell #BiologicalCartography #DigitalTwin