We offer consultancy in the field of spatial technologies and can support you with insights into the latest developments in spatial omics, selecting the right experimental approach for your scientific question, provide input for upcoming grant applications and give advice on anything ranging from small questions to large-scale projects. 

In close collaboration with VIB colleagues in the research centers, expertise units, Tech Watch and the VIB core facilities, we are streamlining the acquisition and analysis of spatial data and are already offering several devices in service.

Our Spatial Catalyst bioinformaticians offer guidance and hands-on assistance to determine the best approach for your spatial data. We advise and train you in the use of established analysis pipelines and tools or guide you towards tailored solutions that fit your research questions.

Our goal is to make the spatial field accessible to everyone and foster a spatial community with a collaborative mindset. To achieve this, we organize a variety of training opportunities ranging from data acquisition to data analysis. 

In recent years, targeted spatial transcriptomics technologies have become increasingly accessible with the advent of commercial platforms like Xenium (10X Genomics), MERSCOPE (Vizgen), Molecular Cartography (Resolve Biosciences), and CosMx SMI (NanoString). While these imaging-based platforms offer tantalizing opportunities for researchers by providing the spatial context of an extensive gene expression panel with subcellular resolution, it has long remained unclear how these technologies compare in terms of technical performance and user experience.

Recent advances in the life sciences have given researchers increasingly detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying health and disease. One thing, however, is missing: the spatial dimension. Spatial omics seeks to remedy this and VIB has invested in this suite of technologies since it burst on the scene. But what is spatial omics, and what are the challenges that remain?  

In anticipation of the upcoming Spatial Omics Conference June 2024, we had the pleasure of speaking with two experts and organizing committee members. The first is Johan Swinnen, head of the Laboratory of Lipid Metabolism and Cancer at KU Leuven. The other expert is Evelien Van Hamme, who leads the VIB Spatial Catalyst at VIB. Each, in their own way, is an expert in spatial omics, a technique that is transforming our understanding of biological tissues. ​ 

Researchers of the VIB Marine lab investigated intrinsic resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in melanoma. Using single-cell, spatial multi-omics techniques, they analysed the cellular architecture of treatment-naive melanoma. Melanoma cells with a mesenchymal-like (MES) state, associated with therapy resistance, were enriched in non-responders’ early on-treatment biopsies. The central regulator TCF4 suppresses melanocytic and antigen presentation programs while orchestrating multiple transcriptional processes, contributing to resistance to both targeted therapy and ICB in melanoma.

Spatial omics technologies are an emerging discipline in scientific research that have been steadily gaining importance over the past few years. Building on VIB Technologies’ broad range of technological expertise, VIB is leveraging spatial technologies through its new Spatial Catalyst unit. In doing so, the organization hopes to make spatial technologies more accessible, integrating it in all layers of its research activities.