Scientists from the “Academician Kiril Bratanov” Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction (IBIR-BAS) presented their latest findings in single-cell biology during the “Beyond Gene Expression: Single–Cell Isoform–Resolved Biology” international webinar organised jointly by the biotechnology companies ArgenTag and Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
As a guest speaker, the institute’s director Corresponding Member Prof. Dr Soren Hayrabedyan, presented practical experience in the application of long-read sequencing of single cells. The data reveal previously unexplored mechanisms through which tumour cells transition to a more aggressive phenotype and evade the immune response. The results and bioinformatic analysis, developed by the team of Prof. Krassimira Todorova, DSc, show that over half of the key genes undergo a switch in their transcript forms (isoforms) without any change in the overall level of gene expression. This isoform diversity remains hidden by standard sequencing methods, yet it provides essential information on the regulation of the cells’ immune defence.
This research is being carried out thanks to the scientific infrastructure established at IBIR under the National Roadmap (NRRI), with Prof. S. Hayrabedyan acting as the institute’s coordinator. IBIR-BAS is part of the Research Infrastructure Consortium “Cell Technologies in Biomedicine” (INFRAACT) and is a member of the European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (EATRIS).
The methodological foundation for these achievements is the Department on Translational Multi-OMics Technologies (successor to the Laboratory of Reproductive OMics Technologies), which has a history spanning more than 10 years. Today, the unit is developing platforms for single-cell transcriptomics, direct RNA analysis and real-time multimodal imaging, aimed at validating microphysiological models of human tissues as well as at generating precise data for training local language models with biomedical applications.
The Translational Multi-OMics Technologies Department is a pioneer in the implementation and optimisation of single-cell transcriptomics platforms based on nanopore sequencing. To date, platforms from 10x Genomics, Singleron Biotechnologies and ArgenTag have been implemented. In 2025, Singleron’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nan Fang, visited IBIR and delivered joint academic lectures with Prof. Hayrabedyan, whilst in 2026, IBIR was among the first beta testers of ArgenTag.
At present, IBIR-BAS is the only research centre in the country that provides comprehensive, operational solutions for single-cell transcriptomics, combined with optimised protocols for third-generation sequencing (long reads).
The full recording of the presentation and the subsequent discussion is available on шге YouTube channel of ArgenTag:
ArgenTag x Oxford Nanopore | Beyond Gene Expression: Single-Cell Isoform-Resolved Biology Webinar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV3tJaT2IeE&t=16s)
