Establishment of a Fluorescent Reporter of RNA-Polymerase II Activity to Identify Dormant Cells

Scientists developed a live cell ratiometric fluorescent Optical Stem Cell Activity Reporter (OSCAR). Using the small intestinal crypt as a model, OSCAR revealed in real time the dynamics of dormancy induction and cellular differentiation in vitro, and allowed for the identification and isolation of several populations of transcriptionally diverse OSCARhigh and OSCARlow intestinal epithelial cell states in vivo.