10x Genomics has launched Atera, an in situ spatial biology platform delivering whole-transcriptome analysis with single-cell sensitivity at large scale, designed to overcome traditional limitations in spatial transcriptomics and enable comprehensive tissue-level biological studies.
10x Genomics has announced the launch of Atera, a new in situ spatial biology platform designed to deliver whole-transcriptome spatial analysis with single-cell sensitivity at unprecedented scale.
The company said the platform has been engineered to enable researchers to study gene expression, cellular states and spatial organisation within intact tissue, offering a more complete picture of how disease develops and progresses.
“Whole-transcriptome spatial transcriptomics transforms tissues into living maps, enabling scientists to visualise complex cellular interactions in disease, uncover hidden mechanisms in clinical specimens and identify new therapeutic targets,” said Dr Kevin Wei of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. ”Seeing this platform early made it clear that it represents a significant step forward for spatial biology. We expect Atera to fundamentally expand the scope of our translational research and accelerate target discovery in inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.”
Overcoming limitations in spatial analysis
Understanding biology in its native context has been challenging for researchers, with gene expression and spatial organisation typically studied using separate tools. These approaches have often been limited in scale, preventing a comprehensive view of biological systems.
Spatial biology has emerged as a way to address this gap, but existing technologies have required tradeoffs between scale, sensitivity and gene selection. According to 10x Genomics, Atera removes these constraints, allowing researchers to analyse biology at single-cell resolution and at scale without compromise.
Understanding biology in its native context has been challenging for researchers, with gene expression and spatial organisation typically studied using separate tools.
The platform is designed to support large-scale whole-transcriptome spatial studies across both fresh-frozen and FFPE tissue, making it suitable for a wide range of discovery and translational research applications.
“At 10x, our mission is to accelerate the mastery of biology to advance human health,” said Serge Saxonov, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of 10x Genomics. “Biology is inherently complex and as much progress as we have made, we still understand only a fraction of how it works. Progress in medicine depends on confronting that complexity directly, which requires measuring biology as it actually functions: systems of individual cells, expressing specific transcripts, in precise locations within tissue. Atera removes the trade-offs that have constrained research, unlocking a new era of insight that will transform our understanding of science and human health.”
Industry adoption and future development
Global service providers are also moving to adopt the technology. Macrogen and its US subsidiary Psomagen have committed to deploying multiple Atera instruments, becoming the first global service provider to adopt the platform.
Atera builds on the company’s existing spatial biology platform, Xenium, which continues to be used for generating spatial data. Meanwhile, Bioptimus has partnered with 10x Genomics to develop one of the world’s largest spatial datasets, known as STELA, as part of its AI-driven research initiatives.
Macrogen and its US subsidiary Psomagen have committed to deploying multiple Atera instruments, becoming the first global service provider to adopt the platform.
“Atera reflects a first-principles approach to solving a core challenge in biology, which is how to measure complex systems without limitations,” said Michael Schnall-Levin, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and founding scientist at 10x Genomics. “We rethought the system from the ground up, optimising each component across chemistry, hardware and software to enable what was previously impossible in spatial analysis. The result is a platform that delivers whole-transcriptome spatial data with single-cell sensitivity at scale. The Atera platform will substantially expand the scope of questions that can be addressed in spatial biology.”
Expanding access through cloud and services
To support the large datasets generated by Atera, 10x Genomics is also introducing a new cloud-based analysis platform, enabling researchers to store, analyse and visualise spatial data while maintaining control over workflows and data storage.
In addition to this, the company has launched Catalyst Research Services, allowing researchers to submit samples directly for whole-transcriptome spatial analysis. Pre-booking is now open, with sample processing set to begin alongside Atera’s commercial availability.
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