# In vivo generation of DNA sequence diversity for cellular barcoding

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to track individual cells in living organisms using genetic barcodes, enabling better understanding of biological interactions and diversity.

## Contribution

The novel in vivo DNA barcoding method allows unique tagging and tracking of individual cells using recoverable genetic barcodes.

## Key findings

- The method was successfully demonstrated in bacterial cells.
- The technique can be used to track cell interactions and heterogeneity in complex biological systems.

## Abstract

Heterogeneity is a ubiquitous feature of biological systems. A complete understanding of such systems requires a method for uniquely identifying and tracking individual components and their interactions with each other. We have developed a novel method of uniquely tagging individual cells in vivo with a genetic “barcode” that can be recovered by DNA sequencing. We demonstrate the feasibility of this technique in bacterial cells. This method should prove useful in tracking interactions of cells within a network, and/or heterogeneity within complex biological samples.