Cartoscope: an integrated cloud platform for processing, visualizing, and sharing micron-scale spatial omics

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded the Regents of the University of Michigan $473,238 under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) on September 1, 2026, for development of CARTOSCOPE, an integrated cloud platform for processing, visualizing, and sharing micron-scale spatial omics data. The platform addresses advances in single-cell and spatial multi-omics technologies that enable molecular profiling of individual cells and spatially resolved transcriptome analysis at submicron resolution across solid tissues, including cancer lesions, using outputs from spatial transcriptomics instruments including VIZGEN MERSCOPE, 10X Xenium, Visium HD, COSMX SMI, SEQ-SCOPE, OPENST, NOVA-ST, BGI STEREO-SEQ, Singular G4X, and Illumina Spatial Platform.

Work is performed at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2030.

Abstract

Rapid advances in single-cell and spatial multi-omics technologies are dramatically enhancing our ability to understand how therapeutic, environmental, or genetic perturbations alter the molecular profiles of individual cells at unprecedented levels of detail. For solid tissues, including cancer lesions, spatially resolving the location of individual molecules is crucial for identifying context-specific transcriptomic signatures of cellular pathologies. Recent developments in spatial transcriptomics technologies such as vizgen merscope, 10X xenium, visium HD, cosmx SMI, SEQ-scope, openst, nova-ST, BGI stereo-SEQ, singular G4X, and illumina spatial platform have enabled microscopic profiling of the spatial transcriptome at submicron (