Mapping Human Origins

Although we have a decent understanding of what happens in our bodies during the early stages of human life, there’s still a lot we don’t know. For example, what goes wrong to cause some of us to develop certain diseases? To shed light on these types of questions, researchers at the Human Developmental Cell Atlas project are creating a genomic map of all cells in our body that are important for development, for example those in our eyes (image shows different cells in the layers of the retina). So far, the team have sequenced the genetic code of 250,000 cells. By mapping which genes are switched on in these cells, the team can pinpoint exactly what happens when we grow and age. This map will ultimately help us to better understand why miscarriages happen, why some children develop developmental disorders, and what causes some diseases, including cancer.

Written by Gaëlle Coullon

Gaëlle Coullon

Writer

Gaëlle is a consultant and trainer in research communication and commercialisation. As an ex-neuroscientist, she is always looking for new ways to combine her love of writing with everything brain related.

• Image by Irene Whitney, laboratory of Joshua Sanes, Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University
• Human Cell Atlas Consortium
• Image copyright held by the original authors
• Research from the Human Cell Atlas Consortium