Atlas · Spatial biology

Who is doing spatial biology, and with what

Spatial biology papers mapped to the lab behind each one, with the platform it used and the core facilities that offer it. Each paper links to its source.

Spatial Lab Atlas: world map of spatial biology labs, coloured by platform type

12,022spatial biology papers, 2014 to 2026, each mapped to its lab
2,307institutions in 80 countries, with 9,208 investigators
25named platforms, from Visium and GeoMx to Xenium, CosMx, Stereo-seq and Slide-seq / Curio

What the data shows

Spatial omics papers more than doubled in two years: 815 in 2023, 2,011 in 2025.

Basis: papers using a spatial omics platform (sequencing, imaging RNA, high-plex protein, GeoMx or mass-spec imaging), by publication year. Targeted stains such as RNAscope are excluded. 2026 had 1,181 by October.

2018: 32 papers3220182019: 51 papers5120192020: 105 papers10520202021: 237 papers23720212022: 399 papers39920222023: 815 papers81520232024: 1,280 papers1,28020242025: 2,011 papers2,01120252026: 1,181 papers1,1812026*
Spatial omics papers per year. *2026 is a partial year (to early October). Basis: papers using a spatial omics platform, by publication year.

Visium is still the workhorse, but imaging platforms are growing fastest.

Platform202320242025
Visium307508737
Xenium1965223
CosMx2042107
Visium HD21694

Basis: papers using the platform, by publication year. A paper using two platforms counts under both.

The US and China produce two thirds of spatial omics papers: 2,549 and 1,641 of 6,168.

Basis: country of each paper's lab, all years. Next are the United Kingdom (279), Germany (271), Australia (150) and Japan (142).

Leading institutions

InstitutionCitySpatial omics papers
Stanford UniversityStanford107
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore97
Broad InstituteCambridge, MA97
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijing86
MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston75

Basis: papers led by a lab at the institution. The atlas lists every investigator behind these counts, the platforms they use and the core labs on site.

How it is built

Sourced from public registries, papers, regulatory filings and announcements; merged and mapped.

View the full atlas. The map, every lab and investigator, the platforms they use and the core facilities near them, with the source for each. Access is free for eligible users and requires registration.

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