A census of cells in time: quantitative genetics meets developmental biology

Quantitative genetics has become a popular method for determining the genetic basis of natural variation. Combined with genomic methods, it provides a tool for discerning the genetic basis of gene expression. So-called genetical genomics approaches yield a wealth of genomic information, but by necessity, because of cost and time, fail to resolve the differences between organs, tissues, and/or cell types. Similarly, quantitative approaches in development that might potentially address these issues are seldom applied to quantitative genetics. We discuss recent advances in cell type-specific isolation methods, the quantitative analysis of phenotype, and developmental modeling that are compatible with quantitative genetics and, with time, promise to bridge the gap between these two powerful disciplines yielding unprecedented biological insight.