Recently, an interdisciplinary research team from the Technical University of Munich, the Helmholtz Center Munich, and ETH Zurich published an important study, introducing an innovative framework called Moscot (Multi-Omics Single-Cell Optimal Transport). This framework successfully reconstructed the developmental trajectories of 1.7 million mouse embryonic cells at 20 time points. The study was published in the journal Nature, marking a significant breakthrough in the field of single-cell genomics.
The design of the Moscot framework is inspired by the optimal transport theory from the 18th century, which aims to efficiently move objects from one place to another. The researchers transformed biological mapping and alignment tasks into optimal transport problems and employed a series of consistent algorithms to solve these issues, thereby achieving the integration of multimodal data. Compared to previous methods, Moscot not only enhances computational scalability but also unifies applications in both temporal and spatial domains, addressing several key challenges currently faced in single-cell genomics.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, image licensed by Midjourney
The lead author of the study, Dominik Klein, stated that traditional methods often provide limited snapshots of cells, making it difficult to fully understand the dynamic changes that occur during development. With Moscot, the research team was able to more accurately depict the developmental trajectories of mouse embryos and reveal the interactions of cells in different spatial and temporal contexts. For instance, in their study of mouse pancreas development, they successfully illustrated the development of hormone-producing cells and discovered a key regulatory factor, NEUROD2, in human induced pluripotent stem cells. This finding offers new insights into the potential mechanisms underlying diabetes.
Moreover, the open-source nature of Moscot allows it to be utilized by a broader scientific community. The research team hopes to leverage this framework to advance the in-depth study of disease mechanisms, aiming for more targeted therapeutic approaches.