Throughout our lives, the nonreproductive or somatic cells in our bodies are constantly undergoing DNA mutations—changes that can sometimes lead to an increased risk of cancer and other diseases. Andrew’s BroadIgnite project seeks to better understand the genetic landscape of somatic mutations; how they are acquired by cells and tissues as we age; and how they contribute to human disease. For this, he will build novel sequencing tools and enhance a technology he has already pioneered, called Slide-tags, that allows researchers to deeply profile individual cells while also retaining their spatial locations as well as information on their cellular environment. (This information is often lost in traditional sequencing techniques.)