Next generation spatial genomics tools for the human brain

SUMMARY Spatial genomics in human brain tissues has the ability to visualize gene expression programs in complex cell interactions that are involved in many neurological disorders. However, current spatial technology is often limited by the high autofluorescence in human brain samples and the poor RNA quality. At Spatial Genomics, we have commercialized the Gene Positioning System (GenePS) platform that is based on the sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization (seqFISH) technology (Eng et al, 2019) that allows 10,000 genes to be imaged directly in tissue samples. The major goal of this project is to develop next generation reagents to scale up the multiplexity of assays available on the GenePS instrument. We will develop new assays that can be performed robustly across human brain tissues by the GenePS platform.