True North Spatial 2026

Advances in spatial biology have enabled unprecedented insights into cellular architecture, signaling networks, and microenvironmental interactions at the single-cell level in healthy and disease tissues. As the field moves toward increasingly complex biological questions, scalable and high-performance technologies are essential for resolving molecular heterogeneity at single-cell and subcellular resolution. Bio-Techne’s leading spatial biology brands, Advanced Cell Diagnostics and Lunaphore, are transforming the future of research and precision medicine. 

Here, we present an integrated, same-section spatial multiomics workflow that combines the RNAscope™ HiPlexPro RNA in situ hybridization assay with Lunaphore’s sequential immunofluorescence (seqIF™) technology on the COMET™ platform. This fully automated approach enables the codetection of up to 12plex RNA and 24plex protein targets, allowing for highly multiplexed, quantitative exploration of cellular states and interactions. Applied across formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human solid tumors and frozen mouse brain tissues, the workflow demonstrates robustness, sensitivity, and versatility in both immuno-oncology and neuroscience contexts. 

In immuno-oncology samples, RNAscope™ probes for cytokines and immune-relevant transcripts were paired with high-plex protein markers to map the spatial distribution of T-cell and macrophage populations within tumor microenvironments. This integrated analysis revealed patterns of immune activation, infiltration, and cellular crosstalk critical for understanding tumor progression and therapeutic response. In neuroscience applications, RNA probes targeting neurotransmitters, receptors, and glial markers were combined with protein signatures to characterize the molecular organization of neuronal and non-neuronal cell populations in the mouse brain. The same section multiomic readout provided a deeper understanding of neuronal signaling, glial neuronal interactions, and region specific cellular heterogeneity. 

Overall, this automated spatial multiomics platform—uniting BioTechne’s gold standard RNAscope™ technology with Lunaphore’s highplex COMET™ system—delivers a powerful, scalable solution for decoding complex tissues. By enabling integrated RNA protein profiling with high sensitivity and spatial precision, it opens new avenues for biomarker discovery, mechanistic studies, and translational research in both immuno-oncology and neuroscience.