Services

A-to-Z hands off full service, from tissue (frozen or paraffin block) to data on the 10x Visium Platform from 1 ( multiples of 4 is more cost-effective) to dozens of samples.

Users can provide tissues (embedded or not), or even tissue already placed on visium slides.

Visium services include:

• Optimized tissue pre-processing (FFPE or Frozen) for Visium
• Tissue adhesion test (FFPE only, required)
• Tissue optimization (Frozen only, required)
• Tissue staining compatible with Visium (H&E or Fluorescence)
• Visium slide and library prep
• Next Gen Sequencing & Data generation (fastq)
• Space Ranger output and/or R Object (optional)
• Downstream analysis (optional)

Tissue services (sectioning, slide loading, staining) are performed by an expert histotechnologist, specialized in the Visium prep.

Imaging takes place on our Nikon Ti2 Eclipse,  the system used by 10x Genomics internally

The STU provides fully automated single cell and nucleus sequencing services, including immunoprofiling (VDJ sequencing). Automation minimizes variability and maximizes repeatability of findnings. Single Cell/Nucleus services include (ask for additional modalities)

• Single Cell Sequencing (3′ and 5′) on the 10x Genomics Connect
• Single Cell Immunoprofiling (expression and TCR/BCR sequencing)
• Single Nucleus Sequencing
• Fully automated single cell and nucleus suspension from tissue samples using the S2 Singulator
• Full service from tissue or cell/nucleus suspension to data, comprising dissociation (if required), encapsulation, library preparation, sequencing, and Cell Ranger/data analysis (optional)

The Akoya Vectra Polaris supports up to 7 colors (6 antibodies + DAPI) across the whole slide using MOTiF technology. It supports 20x (single cell) and 40x (sub-cellular) resolution, with extreme speeds (multiple slides per hour), enabling the investigation from one sample to large scale cohorts.

Its high plexity mode supports up to 8 antibodies + DAPI.

Akoya Vectra Polaris Services include:

1. Automated staining on the Leica Bond Rx to minimize variability using an existing antibody panel.
2. Design and generation of a custom panel + staining on the Leica Bond Rx + scanning on the Polaris.
3. Scanning of already stained stained slides using fluorescence
4. Analysis using the Akoya InForm software, enabling minimization of autofluorescence and optimal channel demultiplexing.
5. Downstream analyses (optional)

The Vutara VXL is extremely versatile enabling from tissue and live cell 3D imaging, to chromatin conformation and spatial investigations.

Currently our services on the Vutara VXL include:

• Support for the design and application of a custom experiment, from live cell and tissue imaging to spatial and ORCA.
• Imaging and analysis of already prepared samples (without any processing or oligoPaint, etc).

The NanoString GeoMx DSP is very versatile, enabling spatial transcriptomics and proteomics on FFPE or frozen tissue sections.

Our services on the GeoMx platform include:

• Tissue pre-processing (FFPE or frozen) for DSP analysis
• Tissue stains (4-plex antibody stains and/or additional stains on serial tissue sections) for ROI selections.
• ROI selection performed by our experts or consultation for selection by the researcher team
• Various kits are supported inlcluding the WTA (18,000+ genes quantified per region, the CTA 1,000+ genes quantified per ROI, and proteomics assays).
• Up to 90 ROIs per slide
• Full service (pre-processing, staining, ROI selection, data generation, data processing (optional)
• Downstream investigations (optional)

The Vizgen MERSCOPE provides sub-cellular resolution, with the ability to tag and assign independent RNA molecules and quantify gene expression. The error correction algorithm and multiple probes assure high confidence in results. The resolution is optimal for rare cell type investigations, neuronal tissue studies, and complex heterogeneous tissues, such as tumors.

The current services include:

• Tissue preparation (frozen or high quality FFPE) and testing for use in the MERSCOPE
• Application of an existing probe set or custom probe set design (up to 500 genes targeted). Pricing is affected by the number of probes with currently 3 tiers supported: up to 140 targets, up to 300 targets, and up to 500 targets.
• Consultation to identify optimal targets for a custom probe set using single cell and spatial data for the tissue/pathology of interest.
• Full service including tissue pre-processing, probe design (optional), capture, scanning, and data analysis (optional)
• Downstream data analyses are also supported (optional)

For all spatial investigations the number of slides is a factor affecting significantly cost and labor. The STU provides tissue microarray generation on the Epredia TMA Grandmaster, a fully automated high capacity system, supporting the creation of blocks with multiple donors and multiple regions of interest per donor.

Services include:

• Tissue pre-processing (if not processed)
• TMA generation for small, medium, and large scale studies.
• Punch biopsy extraction of selected regions for additional preparations (e.g. Whole Exome Sequencing, RNA-Seq, etc).

The STU was established with a mandate to provide education and training on spatial and single cell technologies.

The services include:

• Seminars, lectures, or talks on single cell/spatial technologies, as well as their application on specific domains.
• Hands on training of researchers and small groups on an instrument
• Workshops for specific technologies and/or data analysis
• Seminar series that can take place in our facilities, the client’s, or remotely.