perturbation

It's also regarded as a potential tipping element of the Earth's climate, meaning that a tiny perturbation could push the system to a point of no return.

The researchers could introduce a genetic perturbation and see how that might affect the network and an individual's health.

But Jin's new screening method allows for rapid expression of perturbation agents in living cells within 48 hours -- meaning scientists can quickly see how specific genes function in different types of cells in a very short amount of time.

In a pilot study using this new technology, Jin and her team's interest was piqued when they saw a genetic perturbation elicit different effects when perturbed in different cell types.

"Despite their smaller population representations, some low-abundant cell types may have a stronger impact than others by the genetic perturbation, and when we systematically look at other cell types across multiple genes, we see patterns. That's why single-cell resolution -- being able to study every cell and how each one behaves -- can offer us a systematic view," Jin says.