Scientists involved in the Human Cell Atlas project have set themselves the task of mapping the 37 trillion cells of the human body. Dr Sarah Teichmann describes the latest progress and illustrates the enormous benefits of this project, where scientists from across the world are analysing millions of cells in unprecedented detail. This project will provide vital information about the genes expressed within the cell and how cells change between health and disease. 

After her PhD in Cambridge, Sarah was a Beit Memorial Fellow at UCL. She started a group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in 2001 before moving to the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, Cambridge in 2013. Sarah is an EMBO member and fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Her work has been recognized by many prizes, including the Lister Prize, Biochemical Society Colworth Medal, Royal Society Crick Lecture and EMBO Gold Medal.