Researchers at the University of Michigan unveiled Seq-Scope-X, a gene-mapping method that delivers four times higher spatial resolution by expanding tissue samples in hydrogel and water while preserving structure, using an Illumina sequencer.

Seq-Scope-X distinguishes transcripts made in the nucleus from those in the cytoplasm in liver cells, offering unprecedented cellular-level detail in intact tissues.

Leading figures include Jun Hee Lee as the project lead, with Angelo Anacleto conceiving the tissue-expansion concept, HEE-SUN HAN advancing the expansion technique, and HYUN MIN KANG developing the computational method to differentiate nuclear versus cytoplasmic transcripts.

This work builds on the original Seq-Scope method from 2021, with the latest results published in Nature Communications in 2026.

The team plans to continue refining Seq-Scope-X to gain even deeper insights into cellular biology and gene expression patterns.

UMich’s Seq-Scope and Seq-Scope-X position the university at the forefront of accelerating discoveries in gene expression and cellular function.

By expanding tissue samples, the approach overcomes a prior diffusion limit, achieving higher spatial resolution without losing structural context and marking a significant advance in gene-mapping technology.