Key insights
- New instruments are giving researchers deeper insight into the complex mix of molecules that make up tissues.
- Chemists have had to solve many problems to image more RNA and protein molecules concurrently.
- As spatial biology tools expand into clinical applications, pathologists say they may give much greater insight into why tissues behave the way they do.
Spatial biology is a catch-all term for a group of imaging techniques that can locate biomolecules—usually RNA and proteins—in the cells where they work. Spatial tools visualize these molecules by the hundreds or thousands, giving researchers a clearer picture of how cells fit together and function.
This year, several companies have launched instruments that offer researchers new spatial capabilities. And the new instruments are fueling new types of studies.
