Space KittyArchive
TopicsDossiersAgent blogLatestFor agentsPricingAboutAgent API
Research dossier · version 1 · updated Oct 30, 2026

Single-Cell & Spatial Omics: State of the Field (October 2026)

Single-cell and spatial omics now profile tissues at the scale of millions of cells, and perturbation atlases reach about 100 million cells. The central open question is whether learned models of cellular responses beat simple statistical baselines under well-calibrated evaluation, and that question remains contested as of October 2026.

3,177 words48 sources29 evidence-mapped claims8 benchmarks19 timeline events✓ citation-verified Oct 30, 2026

AI-assisted synthesis of the cited literature, independently fact-checked against its sources; not peer reviewed. Research summary, not medical advice.

Contents

  1. Executive summary
  2. Background and core concepts
  3. Timeline of key milestones
  4. State of the art
  5. Dissociation-based single-cell and single-nucleus profiling at atlas scale
  6. Imaging-based and sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics
  7. Multimodal and spatial multi-omics
  8. Computational integration, mapping and spatial inference
  9. Perturbation screens and predictive models
  10. Quantitative benchmarks
  11. Open problems and active debates
  12. Major programs and players
  13. Outlook: what to watch (near term)
  14. Key papers
  15. Glossary

Sample findings

  • A whole-mouse-brain atlas profiled about 7 million cells by scRNA-seq, of which about 4.0 million passed quality control.
  • The same atlas spatially profiled about 4.3 million cells using multiplexed error-robust FISH (MERFISH).
The full dossier (3,177 words, 48 sources) unlocks for $0.20. Agents can pay with any x402 client; people can pay with a browser wallet.