eBook: What Does High-Quality Spatial Genomics Data Look Like?

Like detective work, detailed understanding of the complexities of biological systems requires scientists to answer questions about details at every level: what, when, why, how…and where. Spatial genomics, Nature’s 2020 Method of the Year, can provide valuable information about where transcripts from hundreds of different genes are expressed across a biological tissue with single-cell resolution.

While early spatial biology methods were unable to characterize individual cells while measuring sufficient biomolecules to identify the variety of cell types present in a biological tissue, recent advances have achieved single-cell resolution with significantly increased multiplexing capacity, discovering previously hidden biology. Powerful examples of this include the an atlas of the mouse primary motor cortex and maps of tumor microenvironments.

The goal of spatial genomics is to precisely map the subtle variations in cellular phenotyping in situ across an intact biological tissue, but not all spatial genomics platforms are created equal. Highly accurate and sensitive spatial biology measurements yield more biological insight.