Researchers have developed spatial ATAC, a novel method designed to map chromatin accessibility within intact tissue sections. By integrating tagmentation with spatially barcoded oligonucleotides, the technique allows scientists to visualize the epigenomic landscape without losing critical anatomical context. Studies on mouse embryos demonstrated that this approach effectively identifies regulatory programs that drive organ development and cell differentiation. Further application to human breast cancer samples revealed distinct non-coding regulatory signatures within the tumor microenvironment. This technology bridges the gap between genomic activity and physical tissue structure, offering a powerful tool for studying both normal development and pathological disease states.

References:

• Llorens-Bobadilla E, Zamboni M, Marklund M, et al. Solid-phase capture and profiling of open chromatin by spatial ATAC[J]. Nature biotechnology, 2023, 41(8): 1085-1088.