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Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was developed at the turn of the millennium, and the first complete sequence of the human genome was achieved in 2022. Recent technological developments now allow us to generate genome-level insights in a matter of hours and at a rapidly shrinking cost. These factors are bringing us to a tipping point where genomic insights can become part of general healthcare practices. The advent of spatial biology and AI is deepening the wealth of information we can extract from NGS studies, benefiting researchers, healthcare professionals, and patients.
Spatial omics
High-throughput omics has improved our understanding of health and disease. However, bulk analyses are performed on homogenized tissues, providing averaged expression data that fail to represent tissue heterogeneity. This lack of resolution is a barrier to understanding rare cell populations and the interplay of cells within complex tissue and tumor microenvironments.
Spatial omics is bridging this gap, allowing researchers to track proteomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic information at the tissue and cellular levels. In a paper titled “Quantitative characterization of tissue states using multiomics and ecological spatial analysis,” published in April 2025 in Nature Genetics, researchers describe combining single-cell RNAseq and proteomics with tissue and single-cell resolution to identify distinct cellular diversity states in colorectal cancer. These states outperformed previous markers in predicting patient survival, highlighting the importance of spatial insights in deriving more meaningful information. Research like this has been bolstered by new instrumentation such as the Visium platform from 10x Genomics, which provides whole-genome NGS capabilities with spatial resolution.
Artificial intelligence
Improvements in omics and spatial instrumentation generate vast amounts of data. AI has emerged as a robust analytical tool for addressing the challenges posed by enormous datasets, helping to maximize actionable insights from the technological achievements in spatial and omics platforms. AI can rapidly integrate large omics datasets to discover patterns and insights, accelerating biomedical research. In medicine, AI is helping to integrate genomics data with other diagnostic modalities to improve patient outcomes. For instance, NGS analysis can be integrated with medical imaging and wearable devices to provide more accurate diagnostics and patient risk stratification.
Population genomics
Advances in NGS technology are reducing the cost of whole-genome sequencing, making the expansion of genomic medicine to large populations more feasible. This is an exciting development as NGS can reveal crucial information such as individual susceptibility to disease and suitability for clinical trial participation. When expanded to the general population, this provides individuals with greater insight and control over their long-term well-being, promoting proactive approaches to health that can lessen the burden on healthcare systems and improve outcomes.
Biobanks are essential for delivering on the promise of genomic medicine, serving as critical logistical hubs for sample collection, storage, and processing. By collecting and storing diverse sample types for extended periods, biobanks enable NGS studies in critical areas of biomedicine, such as infectious disease and stroke research.
Centralized NGS services
Nucleic acids are susceptible to degradation, underscoring the importance of robust logistics to maintain sample integrity from the patient to the NGS platform. Centralized NGS services that combine sample collection, storage, receipt, and analysis offer a solution that safeguards sample integrity and ensures cost-effectiveness by removing the need for shipments to multiple third parties. Such platforms ensure standardization and mitigate preanalytical variables, thereby maximizing data accuracy and ensuring the generation of actionable insights.
Sampled is a fully integrated analytical laboratory and biorepository, combining ISBER-compliant sample logistics and storage with advanced spatial and omics biology platforms, such as the Visium, Xenium, and Chromium from 10x Genomics.
To see how you can leverage the growing power of NGS from a trusted, centralized provider, visit sampled.com/gen.
