Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38856653›Full record

ReviewMolecular ecology2025

From whole bodies to single cells: A guide to transcriptomic approaches for ecology and evolutionary biology.

Katja M Hoedjes, Sonja Grath, Nico Posnien, Michael G Ritchie, Christian Schlötterer, Jessica K Abbott, Isabel Almudi, Marta Coronado-Zamora, Esra Durmaz Mitchell, Thomas Flatt and 10 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Molecular ecology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. The Updated Genome of the Burying BeetleEcology and evolution · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Katja M HoedjesAmsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-6090-232X
Sonja GrathDivision of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Nico PosnienDepartment of Developmental Biology, Göttingen Center for Molecular Biosciences (GZMB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0700-5595
Michael G RitchieCentre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.
Christian SchlöttererInstitut für Populationsgenetik, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-4710-6526
Jessica K AbbottBiology Department, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Isabel AlmudiDepartament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Marta Coronado-ZamoraInstitute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC, UPF, Barcelona, Spain.
Esra Durmaz MitchellDepartment of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Thomas FlattDepartment of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-5990-1503
Claudia FrickeInstitute for Zoology/Animal Ecology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0691-6779
Amanda Glaser-SchmittDivision of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Josefa GonzálezInstitute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC, UPF, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-9824-027X
Luke HolmanSchool of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
Maaria KankareDepartment of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Benedict LenhartDepartment of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Dorcas J OrengoDepartament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Rhonda R SnookDepartment of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-1852-1448
Vera M YılmazDivision of Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
Leeban YusufCentre for Biological Diversity, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6383-1176

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

RNA sequencing (RNAseq) methodology has experienced a burst of technological developments in the last decade, which has opened up opportunities for studying the mechanisms of adaptation to environmental factors at both the organismal and cellular level. Selecting the most suitable experimental approach for specific research questions and model systems can, however, be a challenge and researchers in ecology and evolution are commonly faced with the choice of whether to study gene expression variation in whole bodies, specific tissues, and/or single cells. A wide range of sometimes polarised opinions exists over which approach is best. Here, we highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches to provide a guide to help researchers make informed decisions and maximise the power of their study. Using illustrative examples of various ecological and evolutionary research questions, we guide the readers through the different RNAseq approaches and help them identify the most suitable design for their own projects.

Indexed as

Biological EvolutionEcologyGene Expression ProfilingSequence Analysis, RNASingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeAnimalsbulk RNAseqcellular heterogeneitydeconvolutiongene expressionsingle‐cell RNAseqtranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID38856653
PMCPMC12288782

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.