The human gastrointestinal tract through space and time- Fetal Spatial transcriptomics

Single-cell RNAseq (scRNAseq) and paired VDJ analysis and spatial transcriptomics, we create the first comprehensive cell atlas of the healthy developing, paediatric and adult human gut, including 347,980 cells from up to 10 distinct anatomical sites. We use this data to trace the cellular composition of the gut throughout life, define novel cell markers and cell-cell interactions. We find four neuronal cell populations in the developing enteric nervous system, with expression patterns indicative of irritable bowel syndrome and Hirschsprung’s disease, and identify key cell players and communication networks initiating lymphoid structure formation in early human development.