Establishing a Single-cell Spatial Multiomic Profiling Workflow using the Akoya PhenoCycler-Fusion

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Understanding how different cell types function and communicate with each other in disease states provides the opportunity to identify new treatment options for a range of different disorders. Our knowledge of how cells change in diseases has been transformed in recent years by the ability to study and profile individual single cells at previously unparalleled depth. However, these methods usually rely on isolating cells by breaking up or dissociating the tissue in question, meaning that the spatial location of the individual cells within the tissue is lost. Hence, the precise position of cells and the composition of their local neighbourhood within the tissue often remains unknown. Furthermore, profiling single cells often requires fresh tissue samples, limiting the ability to study biopsy samples from several diseases where fresh tissue is not readily available.To address these issues, the new field of spatial biology has rapidly developed over the past few years. The Akoya PhenoCycler-Fusion instrument and Visiopharm analysis software are at the forefront of the technological and analytical developments in spatial biology. The PhenoCycler-Fusion uses advanced microscope technology to allow researchers to study hundreds of proteins and genes expressed by millions of single cells in previously acquired and stored tissue sections without dissociating the tissue, meaning the spatial location and neighbourhood of each cell can be precisely mapped. Visiopharm software allows scientists to analyse the complex information generated by the PhenoCycler-Fusion in a user-friendly and reproducible manner, generating new insights into how the spatial location and functions of specific cell populations and their neighbours might change between healthy and diseased tissue.This funding would enable us to install the Akoya PhenoCycler-Fusion instrument and Visiopharm analysis software at the University of Edinburgh for the first time. We will spend time setting up a new spatial biology workflow and training researchers how to best use this powerful technology. Once established, a number of renowned experts at the University will use this workflow to study a range of diseases including liver, brain, kidney, skin, infections and cancer. We anticipate this will provide novel insights into potential new treatments for these diseases. We also expect that establishing this spatial biology approach at the University will provide exciting new opportunities for research into other diseases in the future.