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University of Washington Developmental Single Cell Atlas

We set out to generate a human cell atlas of both gene expression and chromatin accessibility using tissues obtained during development. In this study, we applied an assay for single cell profiling of gene expression based on three-level combinatorial indexing (sci-RNA-seq3) to 121 fetal tissue samples representing 15 organs, altogether profiling transcription in over 4 million single cells. In parallel, we devised an improved assay for single cell profiling of chromatin accessibility also based on three-level combinatorial indexing (sci-ATAC-seq3). We applied this method to 53 fetal tissue samples representing 15 organs, altogether profiling on the order of one million single cells. From these data, we identify and characterize diverse human cell types and annotate them with respect to marker genes, expression and regulatory modules. These data comprise a rich resource for the exploration of human biology.