This research introduces Deep-STARmap and Deep-RIBOmap, advanced imaging platforms designed for 3D spatial transcriptomics and translatomics within thick tissue samples. Traditional methods often struggle with cellular fragmentation and physical distortion during thin sectioning, but these new techniques utilize hydrogel-based re-embedding and covalent crosslinking to preserve genetic information in larger volumes. The authors demonstrate the versatility of these tools by mapping complex neuronal morphologies in the mouse brain and analyzing the tumor microenvironment of human skin cancer. By maintaining the volumetric context of the tissue, the study reveals intricate cell-to-cell interactions and structural details that are typically lost in 2D analysis. This framework effectively bridges the gap between high-throughput molecular profiling and the physical architecture of intact biological systems.

References:

• Sui X, Lo J A, Luo S, et al. Scalable spatial single-cell transcriptomics and translatomics in 3D thick tissue blocks[J]. Nature Methods, 2025: 1-11.