This research article introduces IRIS, a novel computational tool designed to identify distinct tissue regions in spatially resolved transcriptomics (SRT) studies. Unlike previous methods that rely on secondary gene expression patterns, IRIS focuses on cell type composition by integrating data from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) references. This approach allows for more accurate and biologically interpretable spatial domain detection across various tissues and species. The authors demonstrate that IRIS is significantly faster and more precise than existing technologies, particularly when analyzing massive datasets like Stereo-seq and 10x Xenium. Ultimately, the method enables researchers to better visualize complex structures such as brain layers, tumor microenvironments, and testicular changes caused by disease.

References:

• Ma, Y., Zhou, X. Accurate and efficient integrative reference-informed spatial domain detection for spatial transcriptomics. Nat Methods 21, 1231–1244 (2024). doi.org