Seq-Scope Protocol: Repurposing Illumina Sequencing Flow Cells for High-Resolution Spatial Transcriptomics

Abstract

ABSTRACT Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies represent a significant advance in gene expression studies, aiming to profile the entire transcriptome from a single histological slide. These techniques are designed to overcome the constraints faced by traditional methods such as immunostaining and RNA in situ hybridization, which are capable of analyzing only a few target genes simultaneously. However, the application of ST in histopathological analysis is also limited by several factors, including low resolution, a limited range of genes, scalability issues, high cost, and the need for sophisticated equipment and complex methodologies. Seq-Scope—a recently developed novel technology—repurposes the Illumina sequencing platform for high-resolution, high-content spatial transcriptome analysis, thereby overcoming these limitations. Here we provide a detailed step-by-step protocol to implement Seq-Scope with an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 sequencing flow cell that allows for the profiling of multiple tissue sections in an area of 7 mm × 7 mm or larger. In addition to detailing how to prepare a frozen tissue section for both histological imaging and sequencing library preparation, we provide comprehensive instructions and a streamlined computational pipeline to integrate histological and transcriptomic data for high-resolution spatial analysis. This includes the use of conventional software tools for single cell and spatial analysis, as well as our recently developed segmentation-free method for analyzing spatial data at submicrometer resolution. Given its adaptability across various biological tissues, Seq-Scope establishes itself as an invaluable tool for researchers in molecular biology and histology. KEY POINTS The protocol outlines a method for repurposing an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 flow cell as a spatial transcriptomics array, enabling the generation of high-resolution spatial datasets. The protocol introduces a streamlined data analysis pipeline that produces a spatial digital gene expression matrix suitable for various single-cell and spatial transcriptome analysis methods. The protocol allows for the capture of histology images from the same tissue section subjected to spatial transcriptomics analysis and allows users to precisely align the transcriptome dataset with the histological image using fiducial marks engraved on the flow cell surface. Leveraging commonly available Illumina equipment, the protocol offers researchers ultra-high submicrometer resolution in spatial transcriptomics analysis with a comprehensive pipeline, rapid turnaround, cost efficiency, and versatility.