Routinely quantifying single cell proteomes: A new age in quantitative biology and medicine

TL;DR

This paper discusses advancements in mass spectrometry techniques that enable routine, high-throughput quantification of thousands of proteins in single cells, promising to revolutionize biomedical research and personalized medicine.

Contribution

It introduces technological developments that significantly increase the sensitivity and throughput of single cell mass spectrometry, enabling comprehensive proteome analysis at the single-cell level.

Findings

Enhanced sensitivity and throughput in single cell MS

Potential to quantify thousands of proteins per cell

Transformative impact on medicine and biological understanding

Abstract

Many pressing medical challenges - such as diagnosing disease, enhancing directed stem cell differentiation, and classifying cancers - have long been hindered by limitations in our ability to quantify proteins in single cells. Mass-spectrometry (MS) is poised to transcend these limitations by developing powerful methods to routinely quantify thousands of proteins and proteoforms across many thousands of single cells. We outline specific technological developments and ideas that can increase the sensitivity and throughput of single cell MS by orders of magnitude and usher in this new age. These advances will transform medicine and ultimately contribute to understanding biological systems on an entirely new level.