Leveraging single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data in combination with known cell type-specific markers, Luke Bonser and his team developed panels of antibodies to characterize and isolate the major airway epithelial subsets (basal, ciliated, and secretory cells) from human bronchial epithelial cell cultures. Their publication also identified molecularly distinct subpopulations of secretory cells and demonstrated cell subset-specific expression of low abundance transcripts and micro-RNAs that are challenging to analyze with current scRNA-seq methods. These new tools will be valuable for analyzing and separating airway epithelial subsets and interrogating airway epithelial biology.