Researcher Questions scPerturb Efficacy as Primary Scaling Axis for Cell Models

anshulkundaje · x · 2026-08-06

Stanford professor Anshul Kundaje expresses confusion over why many efforts are heavily betting on scPerturb data as the primary scaling modality for single-cell models.

He notes there is little evidence that scaling well in these model cell systems provides much advantage to in vivo cell states. He argues that without a time component and with arbitrary endpoints, the bang-for-the-buck of scaling scPerturb might be lower than other data axes. However, he clarifies the data remains super useful for analyses involving decent proxies like certain immune cell systems.

Related event: Stanford Scholar Questions Efficacy of Single-Cell Perturbation Data for AI(2 posts)→

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