Exciting New Technology Revolutionizes Single Cell Sequencing

The development of slide-sequencing in 2019 represented a pivotal advancement in the realm of single cell sequencing. Initially created by Evan Macosko, MD, PhD, and Fei Chen, PhD, this technology has rapidly gained widespread acclaim for its accessible nature and high resolution capabilities.

An exemplary application of this innovative technology was exemplified in a study featured in Nature, where researchers successfully mapped cell types in the mouse brain with an impressive 90% accuracy, revealing areas of cellular diversity within various brain regions. The versatility of slide-sequencing has also been evident in its utilization for model organisms such as planaria and axolotls, as well as in the creation of a reference atlas that charts gene expression across 24 human tissues and organs.

Following the successful development of slide-sequencing, Macosko, Chen, and other co-founders established Curio Bioscience in 2021 with the objective of commercializing this groundbreaking technology. The company’s inaugural product, Curio Seeker, was launched in 2023 and has since garnered a substantial customer base.

In a bid to further broaden its product portfolio, Curio recently unveiled an early access program (EAP) for its latest offering, Trekker. This new commercial version of the slide-tag technology, also developed by Chen and Macosko, aims to incorporate spatial data into the single cell genomics market.

In a presentation at the 2023 Single Cell and AI in Medicine Symposium (SCAIM23), Chen provided insights into slide-tags, referring to them as a fusion of high-throughput single-cell genomics and single-nucleus barcoding. The technology was further elaborated in a paper published in Nature in December 2023, demonstrating its potential in both mouse and human tissues.

The research clarified that the slide-tags approach allows for the tagging of single nuclei within an intact tissue section with spatial barcode oligonucleotides, enabling a wide range of single-nucleus profiling assays. One of the key advantages highlighted was its ability to generate data at single-cell resolution without the need for deconvolution and segmentation.

Curio has already initiated pre-orders for the first commercial slide-tag kits and is scheduled to officially launch Trekker in the spring. With the potential to significantly enhance single cell sequencing, the company is optimistic about the impact of this innovative technology.

According to Macosko, the development of Curio Trekker was driven by the need to provide spatial context to single-cell researchers, thereby bridging a crucial gap in the field. The convenience and accessibility of the technology have been emphasized as key factors in its potential widespread adoption.

Christina Fan, PhD, Co-founder and CTO of Curio, believes that the introduction of Curio Trekker will be transformative for the single-cell market, offering researchers valuable insights into various fields such as cancer biology, neuroscience, and developmental sciences.

One of the early access program participants, Neil Henderson, MD, PhD, expressed excitement about the potential of the Curio Trekker spatial mapping kit to facilitate their research in human liver fibrosis. The streamlined nature of the technology promises to greatly improve their ability to investigate key cellular and molecular mechanisms.

The introduction of Curio Trekker represents a significant milestone in the realm of single cell sequencing, with the potential to revolutionize research across various scientific disciplines. With its accessible nature and high-resolution capabilities, it is poised to become an invaluable tool for researchers seeking to gain a deeper understanding of cellular organization and spatial context.