High-throughput functional assays for in vivo neuroscience

High-throughput functional assays such as CRISPR screens and massively parallel reporter assays have transformed studies of gene regulation in cultured cells, but their translation to neuroscience remains limited. 

The brain presents unique barriers to scaling these assays, including delivery bottlenecks, low recovery, and the complexity of cellular diversity and spatial architecture.

Emerging strategies—ranging from optimized viral vectors and streamlined library design to integration with singlecell and spatial transcriptomics—offer paths to overcome these limitations.

Together, these innovations are paving the way toward in vivo functional genomics approaches that can bridge the gap between genetic variation, regulatory logic, and brain function.

https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/fulltext/S0166-2236(26)00011-1

https://sciencemission.com/high-throughput-functional-assays