Incremental improvements in single-cell analysis technologies have enabled scientists to delve ever deeper into the biochemical pathways inside individual cells. The missing piece, however, has been the ability to track multiple parameters in cells within the context of their physical relationship to their neighbors. Spatial biology is expertly addressing this gap, providing an opportunity to put single-cell data into a spatial context. Future upgrades, such as integrating proteomic and transcriptomic data, will boost the power and utility of this technology for deciphering the processes underlying human disease.
