UIC Spatial and Genome Technologies Core opens new research pathways

Understanding the makeup of cells and their interactions is essential for interpreting biological processes in organs and tissues. Single-cell sequencing allows researchers to determine individual cell types and functions, and spatial technologies place those cells in their original tissue context, providing even deeper insights.

“Bulk RNA sequencing is like blending all your ingredients into a smoothie,” said Melissa Leone, director of the new Spatial and Genome Technologies Core at UIC. “Single-cell analysis, on the other hand, is like having a fruit salad, where you can examine each individual piece of fruit. But spatial analysis? That’s like looking at the beauty of a fruit tart where you can see the arrangement and design of each fruit, giving you a fuller picture of how everything works together.”

UIC’s Spatial and Genome Technologies Core recently launched as part of the Research Resources Center. The core offers advanced spatial and single-cell technologies, including the Chromium, Visium and Xenium platforms from 10X Genomics.

“We’re able to look at the individual cell level, which allows us to answer a ton of different questions that researchers have,” Leone said.

Researchers can work with the core to generate high-resolution, data-rich insights efficiently and cost-effectively. Eventually, the core plans to offer instrument training and micro-credentials to researchers who want to do wet lab work themselves.

“Pairing single-cell sequencing with spatial transcriptomics has given us a lens into not only how tissue changes globally, but also at the single-cell level within the context of interacting with each other in different parts of a tissue,” said Ameen Salahudeen, the core’s faculty advisor and an assistant professor in the College of Medicine.

The Spatial and Genome Technologies Core collaborates with several other research cores in the Research Resources Center, including the Biorepository Core, Research Histology Core and Research Informatics Core. The cores work as an ecosystem, providing researchers with an archive of research samples and support throughout their projects.

“It’s a really exciting time,” Salahudeen said. “We’re going to see how researchers leverage these approaches for discovery and are able to investigate new questions that were not possible before.”

To work with the Spatial and Genome Technologies Core, Chicago-area researchers can set up a consultation with the core’s staff. They’ll meet with each team to ensure they get the most out of their experiment.

“You have no idea how powerful it is until you do it,” Leone said. “It opens up another world for you, at a whole different scale, where you can really start to understand what’s happening in your system.”

— Rebecca Clair, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research