Exploring the Microbial Universe: VITA Platform Shines at ASM Microbe 2024
ASM Microbe 2024, held from June 13 to 17 in Atlanta, once again proved to be a cornerstone of the microbiology community, drawing together attendees from all fields of microbiology, eager to explore groundbreaking insights, pioneering technologies, and new collaborations and partnerships.
The atmosphere at ASM Microbe 2024 was one of inspiration and innovation. Our team was honoured to present our cutting-edge VITA platform for single-cell transcriptome profiling in microbial samples to the global microbiology community. We engaged with numerous dedicated professionals, forging exciting collaborations that promise to shape the future of microbial research.
Our booth emerged as a hub of innovation, drawing in microbiologists eager to learn and explore the advanced capabilities of the VITA platform. Interactive demonstrations allowed visitors to experience the ease and efficiency of the VITA platform firsthand. Personal consultations provided attendees with tailored insights on how the VITA platform could enhance their research projects.
M20 Genomics’ booth at ASM Microbe 2024
Pioneering Insights into the Microbial Universe with VITA
The highlight of M20 Genomics’ participation was our Industry and Science Showcase, where our Vice President of Academic Affairs and Innovation, Dr. Qing Yan, highlighted VITA's outstanding capabilities in detail.
Dr. Qing Yan, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Innovation, presenting the VITA products for microbial single-cell full transcriptome sequencing at ASM Microbe 2024.
Bacterial populations exhibit phenotypic and functional heterogeneity. This diversity is obscured by traditional methods such as bulk RNA-seq by averaging data across whole samples. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) overcomes these resolution limitations. However, most technologies face challenges with bacterial samples.
Dr. Yan's engaging presentation highlighted how VITA products transcend technological barriers by utilizing random primers for RNA capture. The audience was introduced to M20 Genomics' products for bacterial samples: VITA MscRNA-seq High-Throughput Single-Species Single-Bacterium Transcriptome and VITA High-Throughput Gut Microbiome Single-Bacterium Transcriptome.
VITA Products for Microbiology Research
Unveiling Bacterial Heterogeneity and the Underlying Molecular Mechanisms with VITA MscRNA-seq
Gaining insights into the heterogeneity within bacterial populations is critical to understand microbial phenomena such as heteroresistance. Dr. Yan's presentation showcased how VITA MscRNA-seq was leveraged in a groundbreaking study to investigate bacterial heterogeneity in response to antibiotic treatment [1].
By analyzing E. coli samples subjected to varying durations of ampicillin treatment, VITA MscRNA-seq differentiated distinct groups corresponding to the treatment durations. Furthermore, it identified subpopulations within these groups, revealing increasing heterogeneity over time. Analysis of differentially expressed genes within these subpopulations provided insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying heterogeneity that can deliver valuable insights into the development of antibiotic resistance and the development of hetereoresistance (Figure 1).
Figure 1: VITA MscRNA-Seq unveils heterogeneous populations and subpopulations in antibiotics-treated E. coli. Differential gene expression analysis provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying heterogeneity.
Revolutionizing Gut Microbiome Research with VITA GutMicrobiome
Bacteria exist in intricate communities, interacting dynamically with each other, their hosts and environments. This complexity is particularly evident in the gut microbiome, which plays crucial roles in human health and disease. Understanding the functions and interactions within such communities requires advanced tools capable of dissecting the heterogeneity at the single-cell level.
With VITA GutMicrobiome, researchers can investigate functional dynamics in microbial communities. Dr. Yan demonstrated how VITA revealed fluctuations in relative species abundance within the human gut microbiota. Sub-clustering of a dominant species identified three subpopulations with temporally dynamic abundance. Their gene expression patterns showed changes in genes related to nutrient metabolism, potentially influenced by the host's food intake and digestion (Figure 2).
Figure 2: VITA GutMicrobiome reveals temporal fluctuations in relative species abundance within the human gut microbiota (only species with an abundance of <1% are shown). Sub-clustering of a dominant species enables the identification of subpopulations with dynamic temporal abundance. Gene expression patterns showed variations in nutrient metabolism genes across the subpopulations.
VITA GutMicrobiome broadens its application to uncover functional modules within microbiomes, exemplified in a recent study of the bovine rumen microbiome. Departing from traditional taxonomic classification, this study identifies 12 distinct functional subpopulations and their associated bacterial species within the rumen microbiome (Figure 3). While the bacterial composition of gastrointestinal microbiomes varies among individuals, functional modules are shared across individuals and can be executed by different bacterial species. This innovative approach, utilizing VITA GutMicrobiome to construct a functional atlas of single-bacterium transcriptome data, provides profound insights into the functional diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiome [2].
Figure 3: VITA GutMicrobiome identifies 12 functional modules and quantifies relative species abundance within these clusters of the rumen microbiome.
Moreover VITA GutMicrobiome excels in elucidating the association between bacteria and their infecting phages, which exert significant influence within the microbial environment. Dr. Yan presented the results of a recent study that utilized this capability to uncover numerous novel bacteria-phage associations. This study reveals the high heterogeneity of phage invasion among bacterial genera and species, demonstrating how VITA GutMicrobiome can precisely identify phage-bacteria- association on the genera and species level [3] (Figure 4).
Figure 4: VITA GutMicrobiome reveals specific bacteria-phage associations within the human gut microbiota on the bacterial genera and species level.
Dr. Yan’s presentation underscored the broad capabilities of VITA GutMicrobiome in unravelling the intricacies and heterogeneity of complex microbial communities with single-cell precision. This innovative tool is paving the way for new discoveries in microbiome research, advancing our understanding of microbial functions, interactions and their impacts on health and disease.
VITA Unlocks Vast Potential in Microbial Research
ASM Microbe 2024 has been a great event to share groundbreaking insights and advancements in microbial research. Yet, the microbial universe still holds many mysteries. Researchers like you are at the forefront of these discoveries, driving our understanding of fundamental microbial processes and potential applications in biotechnology.
M20 Genomics is committed to supporting this mission by providing powerful technologies that revolutionize microbial research in various areas:
Antibiotic Resistance Research:VITA reveals complex resistance mechanisms at the single-cell level, which are crucial for understanding critical phenomena like heteroresistance.
Microbiota Function Analysis:VITA enables to explore microbial temporal state transitions and phenotypic and functional heterogeneity in bacterial populations.
Microbe-Host Interaction Studies:VITA enables precise analysis of intercellular signaling pathways and cell-to-cell interactions.
Live Biotherapeutic Product Development:VITA facilitates comprehensive characterization of microbial strains, essential for effective biotherapeutic product development.
VITA products present powerful tool for single-cell transcriptome profiling in complex microbial samples. Together, let’s unlock the mysteries of the microbial universe!
About M20 Genomics
M20 Genomics is a rapidly growing life science technology company dedicated to pushing the boundaries of single-cell and spatial technologies. Our mission is to empower our customers by overcoming technological barriers in cutting-edge single-cell and spatial technologies, unraveling mysteries in life science, and driving advancements in disease diagnosis and treatment. With M20 Seq technology, we have pioneered the world's first high-throughput full-length single-cell technology sequencing using random primers, along with our VITA product line for single-cell transcriptome sequencing. In addition, our M20 Spatial technology, utilizing random primers and paired with our NATA spatial transcriptome product line, provides the first spatial full-transcriptome solution across various sample types. To learn more about our transformative technologies, visit the M20 Genomics website or follow us on LinkedIn or X.
References:
[1] Xu, Z., Wang, Y., Sheng, K. et al. Droplet-based high-throughput single microbe RNA sequencing by smRandom-seq. Nat Commun 14, 5130 (2023).
[2] Jia, M., Zhu, S., Xue, MY. et al. Single-cell transcriptomics across 2,534 microbial species reveals functional heterogeneity in the rumen microbiome. Nat Microbiol (2024).
[3] Shen, Y., Qian, Q., Ding, L., et al. High-throughput single-microbe RNA sequencing reveals adaptive state heterogeneity and host-phage activity associations in human gut microbiome. Protein Cell (2024).
