Vizgen® to Advance Cell Atlas Research with New Volumetric Tissue Mapping Spatial Data and Services at HCA 2026 Meeting
Vizgen, Inc., a spatial multiomics company and developer of the MERSCOPE Ultra™ platform, has announced a major expansion of its spatial biology capabilities with the introduction of 3D Volumetric Tissue Mapping. The company will debut a new volumetric dataset derived from neurodegenerative brain tissue using its MERFISH 2.0™ chemistry at the upcoming Human Cell Atlas (HCA) General Meeting, scheduled for June 16–18 in Boston. Alongside this scientific presentation, the company will also launch new services for volumetric spatial profiling and introduce a centralized Cell Atlasing Hub designed to support researchers working across the global cell atlas ecosystem.
The announcement comes at a time when the Human Cell Atlas initiative and the broader spatial biology community are increasingly focused on moving beyond two-dimensional tissue profiling. As cell atlasing matures from foundational mapping efforts into more complex disease and functional biology applications, the limitations of traditional thin-section approaches have become more apparent. Vizgen’s new Volumetric Tissue Mapping platform is positioned as a response to this challenge, offering a way to reconstruct cellular organization in three dimensions while preserving molecular resolution.
According to Vizgen, the HCA General Meeting provides an ideal stage to showcase this advancement, as it brings together leading researchers in single-cell biology, spatial transcriptomics, and systems biology. The company’s goal is to demonstrate how adding a true volumetric dimension to spatial transcriptomic datasets can significantly enhance biological interpretation, particularly in complex tissues such as brain and tumor microenvironments.
Traditional spatial biology methods typically rely on thin tissue sections, which capture only a limited slice of a biological system. While these approaches have enabled major advances in understanding cellular heterogeneity and tissue organization, they inherently flatten complex structures. This introduces a fundamental constraint: biological systems such as vascular networks, immune cell infiltration patterns, neuronal circuits, and tumor niches exist in three-dimensional space, not in isolated planar layers. As a result, critical spatial relationships may be lost or misrepresented when only a single section is analyzed.
Vizgen’s Volumetric Tissue Mapping is designed to overcome this limitation by enabling high-resolution imaging across thick tissue volumes. By preserving spatial context in all three dimensions, researchers can more accurately reconstruct cellular neighborhoods and tissue architecture. This approach allows for a more complete understanding of how cells interact within their native microenvironments, particularly in disease states where spatial disruption plays a key role.
To demonstrate the capabilities of this technology, Vizgen will present volumetric MERFISH datasets generated from both mouse brain tissue and human neurodegenerative brain samples. The human datasets include amyloid beta labeling, a key pathological marker associated with Alzheimer’s disease, enabling researchers to correlate spatial gene expression patterns with disease-specific protein accumulation. This multi-layered readout is intended to provide deeper insight into neurodegenerative processes, where spatial disorganization and cellular interactions are central to disease progression.
The company also noted that expansion into human cancer tissue is already underway, signaling potential applications of volumetric spatial biology in oncology research. In solid tumors, where immune infiltration, stromal architecture, and tumor heterogeneity vary significantly across spatial axes, volumetric analysis could provide critical insights into therapeutic response and resistance mechanisms.
A key component of the platform is MERFISH 2.0 chemistry, which powers the MERSCOPE Ultra™ system. This next-generation spatial transcriptomics technology enables highly multiplexed gene expression profiling at single-cell resolution while maintaining spatial fidelity. According to Vizgen, the combination of MERFISH 2.0 with volumetric imaging allows researchers to simultaneously resolve rare cell populations, define tissue architecture, and map disease-associated pathology without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity.
George Emanuel, PhD, Co-founder and Vice President of Instruments at Vizgen, emphasized the conceptual shift behind the technology. He noted that biological tissues are inherently three-dimensional and that reducing them to flat sections provides only a partial view of cellular organization. The company’s objective, he explained, is to provide researchers with tools that more faithfully represent native biology and enable more efficient measurement of complex tissue systems. He also highlighted Vizgen’s intention to collaborate with external research groups to generate volumetric spatial transcriptomics datasets and eventually support in-lab implementation on the MERSCOPE Ultra platform.
Beyond instrumentation and chemistry, Vizgen is also introducing a new service offering through Vizgen Lab Services. This program provides project-based access to Volumetric Tissue Mapping, allowing academic and industry researchers to generate MERFISH datasets without needing to establish internal infrastructure for volumetric spatial profiling. This service model is intended to lower the barrier to entry for advanced spatial transcriptomics and accelerate adoption across translational and basic research programs.
The company describes Volumetric Tissue Mapping as an integrated approach that combines several key capabilities: deep imaging to capture three-dimensional tissue structure, high sensitivity for detecting rare cell populations, flexible gene panel design for hypothesis-driven research, and multi-omic readouts that integrate RNA expression with spatial context. Together, these features are intended to move spatial biology beyond traditional single-section analysis toward a more comprehensive understanding of tissue systems.
In addition to its technical announcements, Vizgen will also engage with the research community through educational initiatives at the HCA meeting. The company plans to host a webinar titled “Mapping of the Brain: Spatial Profiling for Deeper Insights into Neurological Disease Mechanisms” on June 9, 2026, at 11 AM EDT. The session will feature presentations from Dr. Ioannis Mantas and Dr. Manisha Ray and will highlight how MERFISH 2.0 chemistry and pre-designed panels can be used for single-cell resolution mapping of the mouse brain. The webinar is intended to demonstrate practical applications of the platform in neuroscience research and disease modeling.
Finally, Vizgen is launching its Cell Atlasing Hub, a centralized digital resource designed to support researchers engaged in spatial biology and cell atlas development. The hub will provide access to downloadable datasets, experimental panel designs, published case studies, and expert consultation services. By consolidating these resources, the company aims to foster collaboration and streamline access to spatial multiomics data and workflows.
Overall, Vizgen’s latest announcement reflects a broader shift in spatial biology toward three-dimensional, high-resolution tissue mapping. By extending its MERFISH 2.0 platform into volumetric analysis and pairing it with service-based access and community resources, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of next-generation cell atlasing and spatial transcriptomics research.
About Vizgen®
Vizgen is at the forefront of spatial biology and multi-omics innovation. Co-founded by leaders in single-cell and spatial genomics, including professors Xiaowei Zhuang, PhD, Jeffrey Moffitt, PhD, and David Walt, PhD, Vizgen builds technologies that equip researchers for discovery in foundational biology and human disease. These include its pioneering MERFISH 2.0™ chemistry and MERSCOPE Ultra™ Platform for in situ single-cell spatial genomics. MERFISH 2.0 is for research use only. Vizgen is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with R&D and lab services operations in nearby Cambridge.
