Vizgen Launches New Panels and AI Segmentation Tools to Advance Spatial Biology Research
- Pre-designed and Add-on gene panels are a new means of accessing Vizgen’s validation and customization capabilities
- Extended range of cell segmentation models reflective of ongoing initiative to streamline advanced downstream analysis
Waltham, Mass. – April 15, 2026 – Vizgen, Inc., a leader in spatial multi-omics at single-cell resolution, today announced a series of enhancements for the MERSCOPE® and MERSCOPE Ultra™ Platforms to accelerate end-to-end spatial transcriptomics workflows, ensure flexible, high-accuracy segmentation, and deliver high-performance data using state-of-the-art AI models. Vizgen will showcase the new solutions for achieving faster, deeper biological insight at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego this week.
The new innovations include a significantly expanded line-up of Pre-designed Panels, new Add-on Panel capabilities for customizing content, and AI-powered cell segmentation options offered within the Vizgen Post-processing Tool (VPT). Together, these enhancements simplify gene panel design and downstream analysis while maintaining Vizgen’s trademark flexibility and commitment to unparalleled data quality.
The Pre-designed Panels, powered by MERFISH 2.0™ chemistry, enable rapid adoption of spatial transcriptomics by eliminating the need for panel design and validation. The comprehensive panel portfolio spans mouse biology, human tissue systems, and oncology applications to address diverse research needs across pre-clinical and translational workflows.
“Pre-designed Panels make MERFISH 2.0 chemistry faster and more accessible for groups that are new to the technology and exploring spatial biology. They’re quick to order, easy to implement, and backed by Vizgen’s expert design, ensuring smooth data analysis,” said Christina E. Baer, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UMass Chan Medical School.
The new Add-on Panels are complementary, enabling customization of Pre-designed Panels with up to 100 additional genes tailored to specific biological questions. Built leveraging Vizgen’s proven expertise in custom panel design, Add-on Panels combine the speed and reliability of curated panels with the precision of fit-for-hypothesis design, delivering the best of both without compromise.
“Vizgen continues to innovate on MERSCOPE Ultra Platform, doing so across the researcher’s workflow,” said Jiang He, VP & Portfolio Owner, Reagents & Scientific Affairs at Vizgen. “With the introduction of our Pre-designed Panels, Add-on Panels, and advanced segmentation capabilities, we are enabling researchers to move more efficiently from experimental design to biological discovery.”
In parallel, Vizgen is expanding its VPT with the integration of two powerful, open-source segmentation algorithms, Cellpose-SAM (Segment Anything Model) and InstanSeg, soon to be available as plugins. These additions address the growing need for accessible, high-performance bioinformatics, particularly in spatial transcriptomics, where defining cell boundaries is critical for accurate transcript assignment.
Vizgen at AACR
Vizgen representatives will be demonstrating the company’s products and answering questions in exhibit hall booth #1655.
Vizgen scientists will also present posters covering the latest innovations across the company’s product portfolio.
Title: AI Analysis Agent to Accelerate End-to-End Spatial Biology Analysis for MERFISH
Poster #: 21
Date| Time: 4/19/2026 | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Title: MERFISH 2.0 Enables High-Sensitivity, Customizable Spatial Transcriptomics
for Resolving Immune and Tumor Programs in Human Cancers
Poster #6673
Date | Time: 4/21/2026 | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Title: Decoding Immune and Tumor Niches Through High-Plex Spatial Multi-Omics in Human Cancer Tissues
Poster #6679
Date | Time: 4/21/2026 | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Title: Streamlined High-Plex Imaging with InSituPlex® and ZEISS Axioscan 7 for Spatial Phenotyping
Poster #6683
Date | Time: 4/21/2026 | 2:00 PM-5:00 PM
Title: A High-Throughput, Automated, and Reproducible mIF Workflow for Spatial Biology KevEnabled by ZEISS SlideStream and Vizgen’s InSituPlex® Assays
Poster #7662
Date | Time: 4/22/2026 | 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
For more information about Vizgen and its spatial multi-omics offerings, visit www.vizgen.com.
About Vizgen®
Vizgen is at the forefront of spatial biology and multi-omics innovation. Co-founded by leaders in single-cell and spatial genomics, including Xiaowei Zhuang, PhD, Professor David Walt, PhD, and Jeffrey Moffitt, PhD, Vizgen builds technologies that equip researchers for discovery in foundational biology and human disease. These include its pioneering MERFISH 2.0™ chemistry and MERSCOPE Ultra™ Platform for in situ single-cell spatial genomics along with its high-fidelity InSituPlex® protein assays and AI-driven STARVUE™ spatial image analysis technology. MERFISH and InSituPlex are for research use only. Vizgen is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with R&D and lab services operations in nearby Cambridge. For more information, visit www.vizgen.com or connect on social media X, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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Media Contact:
Anjana Narayanan
Vizgen
anjana.narayanan@vizgen.com