MULTIMODE OMICS OF SINGLE TISSUE SAMPLE

MULTIMODE OMICS OF SINGLE TISSUE SAMPLE

Researchers at UCSF have developed a method for multimode OMICs analyses of tissue sections using mass spectrometry imaging, spatial transcriptomics, and genomics on a shared sample.

Currently, mass spec imaging based on MALDI MS is the best way to show the distribution of small chemicals or metabolites of tissues. However, current techniques require the substrate to be conductive, and thus it cannot be combined with other commercially available gene expression techniques and materials. For instance, measurement of gene expression levels of brain tissues generally requires fluorescent probes to stain the tissue to link mRNA data with other information based on microscope imaging. Yet there are no probes to label small chemicals or metabolites in this context, and therefore there are no methods available to link metabolomics with transcriptomics or genomics with spatial control. Therefore, a method capable of linking these types of data with spatial resolution is needed.

Stage of Research

The inventors have developed a method capable of obtaining multiple types of measurements from one tissue sample enabling a link between metabolomics with sequencing data. This method entails obtaining a tissue sample, labeling the tissue with spatial barcodes, and then obtaining certain measurements without disrupting the integrity of the sample, for example with MALDI MS, and then obtaining spatial transcriptomic information from the tissue sample which involves lysing the cells to determine the sequence of the captured mRNA, and finally linking the mass spectrographic measurement with the spatial transcriptomic information from the same tissue section sample.

Applications

Spatial metabolomics, for example mass spectrometry imaging.
Transcriptomics, for example using a Vision slide from 10x Genomics.

Advantages

The method described enables the linking of multiple measurements obtained within the same tissue section sample using spatial barcoding.
The method meets an unmet need in the field by performing, for example, both mass spectrometry imaging and mRNA sequencing techniques on the same tissue sample.

Stage of Development

Research – in vitro

Publications

PCT/US22/43624