News
Our Nature Protocols paper is out!
16 Jun 2026
A big shoutout to Raúl and Sandra and everyone’s involved for developing a high-sensitivity scRNA-seq method.
Protocol Outline
© Siegel Lab
We developed a high-sensitivity scRNA-seq protocol -SL-Smart-seq3xpress- optimized for organisms that perform trans-splicing.
These include kinetoplastids, marine dinoflagellates and nematodes, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, which add a conserved spliced leader (SL) sequence to the 5′ end of nearly all mRNAs. By directly targeting this SL sequence using a specific primer, SL-Smart-seq3xpress bypasses the need for inefficient 5′ sequence-adding steps and captures >80% of mRNA molecules in individual Trypanosoma brucei cells, substantially more than all other techniques to date.
From single-cell sorting to libraries ready for sequencing, the protocol can be completed in 3 d by an experienced technician or graduate-level molecular biologist.