“Neuronal Identity and Maturation: Insights from the Single-Cell Transcriptome”

Keywords: stem cell technology, neuronal diversity, functional maturation, biomarkers

Advances in stem cell technology have made it possible to reprogramme the skin cells of patients and healthy individuals in a lab to create nerve cells (neurons) for neuroscientific research purposes. Despite the success of this method, the high degree of diversity in the maturity and functionality of neurons appears to impede an accurate comparison of sick and healthy cells. Using advanced analysis methods at the individual cell level and molecular level, this dissertation characterises the various functional properties of reprogrammed neurons. The ability to use molecular techniques to isolate and compare neurons with the same functional capability makes research on the genetic and biological basis of neurological and psychiatric conditions easier and more accurate to carry out.