Droplet-Based Single-Cell 3′ mRNA Sequencing of Marburg Virus-Infected Samples

Single-cell technologies are continually evolving with emerging methods that are gradually uncovering the central DNA-RNA-protein dogma. Single-cell RNA sequencing is one arm of a multi-omic approach that achieves an astounding level of granularity to reveal the complexity of virus-host interactions at the transcriptomic level. Cell tropism, virus replication, pathogenesis, and gene expression changes mediated by the virus and the host’s immune response to infection are just some areas of study that are gaining better clarity due to the high-resolution analysis afforded by the technology. We describe a single-cell sequencing protocol for Marburg virus infection in vivo using nonhuman primate blood and the 10× Chromium Next GEM single-cell genomics methodology. Working with pathogens of high consequence is logistically complicated, requiring containment in biosafety level (BSL)-4 laboratories and harsh inactivation procedures before samples can safely be removed to lower biosafety conditions. We provide procedural insight into sample isolation and processing conducted in BSL-4 and describe the requirements for safe sample removal without jeopardizing quality for down-stream sequencing and analysis in BSL-2 conditions. Characterization of complicated biological processes mediated by high-containment pathogens, typically restricted to analogous model systems, e.g., minigenome, can be achieved using live virus.