Einstein researchers develop technique to count messages made by si...(are present at very high levels and only...)

Dr. Singer's "single RNA counting" technique has the potential to change some fundamental theories about how genes are regulated. As Dr. Singer explained, "our study using this new technique has already generated enough new ideas to keep students busy for the next 10 years."

One of the most important findings of this study was that "housekeeping" genes, which all cells need to survive, are not always expressed at a constant level. Variability, however, is restricted to a narrow range that seems to be characteristic for housekeeping genes. Combining single molecule measurement with mathematical modeling allowed the team to precisely determine how variability is controlled. This showed that unlike the findings of previous studies, housekeeping genes are not transcribed by transcriptional bursts but at a fairly constant rate. Bursting expression, however, is found for special classes for genes where higher variability might be an advantage for the cell. The next step is to see if this continuous/non-bursting theory of housekeeping gene control applies also to human cells. The work from Dr. Singer's group was performed in yeast cells.

Dr. Singer believes the approach of looking at biological processes in natural contexts (rather than in a test tube) at a single cell level reveals details that can advance the field of cancer and other disease research. "Cancer derives from a single cell. So current microarray technologies that are used on a tissue-wide level and are based on "grinding up a tumor" may be a good first step at directing us where to focus, but they may need to be combined with newer techniques that provide the precision to home in on single cells," Dr. Singer said.

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