BPS2026 – Spatial correlations of single-cell gene expressions

It has been proposed that biological systems display signatures of criticality. Previous studies have explored phase transition and criticality in the context of collective cell motility and intercellular mechanical forces. However, in tissues, neighboring cells orchestrate specific functional behavior and environmental response through various chemical signaling mechanisms. Therefore, gene expressions of the neighboring cells are expected to be correlated. Using single-cell spatial transcriptomics data, we investigate how these correlations vary across length scales and assess whether they display signatures of criticality.