Molecular Instruments @HCRimaging

A recent preprint from the University of California, Berkeley, Martik Lab (@MeganMartikPhD) used #HCRtechnology to reveal a previously unrecognized layer of Twist1 regulation during cranial neural crest development. By combining sensitive, multiplexed RNA detection with cell-type-specific markers, Busby et al. identified a conserved post-transcriptional mechanism that appears to control Twist1 transcript accumulation across vertebrates. Dr. Busby shared, "The sensitivity of HCR™ staining allowed us to observe nascent Twist1 transcripts in the neural tube that would have been missed with traditional ISH staining." Check out the preprint here: biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

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One of the most rewarding parts of being on the road is hearing how our users are putting #HCRtechnology to work in their own labs. During our time in the UK, from the European Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting to our first-ever HCR™ Office Hours, we loved connecting with researchers exploring a wide range of questions, organisms, and applications. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and shared more about their projects. We’re looking forward to returning again soon!

Got an HCR™ image you’re proud of? 🃏The HCR™ Image Contest: Best-in-Suit is open, and we’re looking for images that capture the detail, color, and character of your work. If you have a favorite result, send it our way! 📥 Submit your entry here: lnkd.in/gyBws_yY

Multiplex immunofluorescence doesn’t have to be complicated. In Episode 3 of our HCR™ HiFi Encoder series, we walk through the protocol and show just how easy it is to encode your primary antibodies for HCR™ Gold IF. Follow along step by step and see how the HCR™ HiFi Encoder supports flexible, high-fidelity multiplex IF with minimal added complexity. View the full walkthrough here: youtube.com/watch?v=kA_Ac2…

We’re looking forward to attending the 10th Biennial European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting at the University of Glasgow! If you’ll be there, stop by and meet Joyce Yoo and Michelle Saylor from the MI team. We’d love to hear more about your research and talk about how #HCRtechnology could support your next set of experiments. Schedule a meeting here: calendly.com/molecularinstr…

Looking for a quick way to get familiar with HCR™ HiFi Encoder-driven multiplex IF? We’ve put together a YouTube playlist featuring the 10-minute encoding process, along with workflow walkthroughs, step-by-step demos, and practical tips to help you get started with confidence. Whether you’re exploring the assay for the first time or just need a refresher, it’s an easy way to see how HCR™ Gold IF comes together from start to finish. Check out the playlist here: youtube.com/playlist?list=…

We’re heading to the 10th Biennial European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting at the University of Glasgow! We’re looking forward to meeting researchers across the evo-devo community and learning more about how they’re applying #HCRtechnology to advance discoveries in developmental biology. If you’ll be attending, stop by and say hello! We’d love to hear about the questions you’re exploring and talk about how the HCR™ platform can support new applications in your research. 📅 June 10–12 Register here: evodevoconference26.com

Spatially mapping gene expression in the developing retina 👁️ In a recent study, the Cepko Lab at @harvardmed used #HCRtechnology alongside single-cell RNA-seq to generate high-resolution 2D maps of gene expression in the developing chicken retina. By integrating the HCR™ platform with computational analysis, the team captured subtle spatial gradients, refined key patterning relationships, and identified both conserved and species-specific features across chicken, mouse, and human retinal tissue. Heer Joisher shared, “The robustness and reproducibility [of HCR™ technology] made it feasible to compare patterns across species, including human tissue. This was critical for validating our computationally predicted 2D topographical maps.” Explore the full preprint here: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12…

It was great to see such a strong turnout at the In Situ Hybridization and Spatial Omics Symposium at the @CR_UK! We appreciated the opportunity to connect with so many researchers and to share more about the HCR™ platform across spatial biology workflows, multiplex IF, and high-fidelity RNA-ISH applications. If you’d like to follow up on any of the topics from the session, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]. We’d be happy to continue the conversation!

We’re excited to be a part of the In Situ Hybridization and Spatial Omics Symposium at the @CR_UK Cambridge Institute! Don’t miss Aneesh Acharya, as he discusses how HCR™ Gold and Pro enable precise spatial analysis through RNA-FISH, HiFi Encoder-driven multiplex IF, and RNA-ISH workflows. 🗓️ Wednesday (May 20) at 11:10 AM 📍 Lecture Theatre, CRUK Register here: cruk.cam.ac.uk/in-situ-hybrid…

Our webinar with the Miller Lab from @UTHealthHouston is available on demand! Learn from @rkmille and @AdRoMora as they discuss how genetic variants can disrupt kidney development and contribute to congenital kidney diseases. Using Xenopus laevis as a model for embryonic kidney development, the team applies #HCRtechnology to visualize gene expression and map transcripts to specific nephron segments, helping uncover the mechanisms underlying kidney development and disease. Watch the full recording here: youtu.be/czqh3VsYopI

Don’t miss your chance to stand out in the HCR™ Image Contest: Best-In-Suit! We’re looking for images that showcase the precision, originality, and real-world impact of your work. Whether it’s a striking application, a unique experimental setup, or an unexpected result, we’d love to see what sets your work apart. Submit your entry and be part of a collection celebrating the creativity driving #HCRtechnology forward. 📥 Submit your entry here: lnkd.in/gyBws_yY

Our webinar, Enabling Precision Medicine in Dermatology: A Clinically Validated LDT Powered by HCR™ Pro with William Damsky, MD, PhD from @Yale is now available to watch on demand. In this session, Dr. Damsky discusses how HCR™ Pro can support precision medicine through clinically relevant laboratory-developed tests, including novel biomarkers that help identify inflammatory signatures in skin biopsies. These insights can help enable more accurate diagnoses and more targeted treatment strategies. Watch the full recording here: youtu.be/gPyPR0p917s

It was a pleasure meeting everyone who joined us for yesterday’s Lunch and Learn at @NorthwesternU! A special thank-you to Rizaldy Scott for helping coordinate such a great event. We always appreciate the opportunity to connect with the academic community in person and to learn more about the exciting projects and applications taking shape in the lab. Interested in hosting a Lunch and Learn with MI? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

We’re excited to share that MI will be attending the @Indica_Labs HALO® User Group Meeting in Boston on May 12 at Le Méridien Boston Cambridge! This year’s event will feature hands-on workflow workshops, insights from guest speakers, and the latest updates across the HALO image analysis and management platforms. We’re especially looking forward to connecting with the HALO community, as HCR™ assays integrate well with the platform for streamlined image analysis in spatial and tissue-based studies. If you’re attending or based in the Boston area, we’d love to connect. Our team, Michelle Saylor and Elizabeth Hicks-Kridel, will be on-site to answer any questions and talk about how #HCRtechnology can fit into your research workflows. Register here: indicalab.com/events/indica-…

We're excited to be working with @EmpireGenomics, a @biocarem company, to bring HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH kits to the NeoPATH Pro automated staining platform. With turnaround in as little as 5.5 hours, capacity for up to 42 slides per run, and one of the largest automated ISH menus available, the NeoPATH Pro's speed, scale, and flexibility is a perfect complement to HCR™ Pro RNA-ISH. The combination of HCR™ Pro chemistry and HCR™ HiFi Probes delivers clear, consistent staining, single-step amplification, and strong performance across diverse FFPE samples. Together, this creates a faster, more scalable path for labs looking to expand RNA-ISH workflows in tissue-based research. Learn more here: lnkd.in/gVp9MWv5

Our final #MIatAACR recap features a poster created with Hamamatsu Corporation on 9-plex spatial co-detection of clinically relevant protein and RNA targets in FFPE tumors. In this poster, we showed how HCR™ Gold IF and HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH can be combined in a single-round workflow and imaged on the MoxiePlex platform to achieve up to 9-plex imaging in FFPE tissue. The workflow avoids stripping and photobleaching, remains compatible with validated antibodies and standard filter sets, and supports high-quality whole-slide spatial profiling across mixed protein and RNA panels. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our poster sessions and connected with us at AACR this year! View all of our #AACR2026 posters here: hcrimaging.com/articles/aacr-…

For the next installment in our #MIatAACR recap series, we’re spotlighting a poster presented alongside @abcam, @LeicaBio, and @Indica_Labs on automated multiplex IF for tumor microenvironment profiling. This work outlines a complete workflow for FFPE tissues, combining HCR™ Gold IF staining on the BOND RX Research Staining System with image analysis using the HALO platform. The approach enables same-species multiplex IF in an automated format, making it easier to move from staining to analysis in tumor microenvironment studies. Take a closer look at the poster here: cdn.prod.website-files.com/633286c697eb81…

We’re kicking off our #MIatAACR poster recap series with a poster developed with @abcam: Same-species multiplex IF with HCR™ Gold IF: Cross-clone benchmarking using Abcam’s oncology-validated primaries. This work highlights how HCR™ Gold IF, powered by the HiFi Encoder, can make same-species multiplex IF faster and easier to implement using widely available Abcam primary antibodies. With a streamlined workflow that moves from order to image in just 3-5 days, HCR™ Gold IF simplifies clone validation and panel optimization without the complexity often associated with conventional multiplex IF methods. The result is a plug-and-play path to robust characterization of the tumor microenvironment, pathway activity, and checkpoint expression, helping lower barriers to spatial biomarker studies and accelerate discovery and translational research. If you missed it at AACR, you can explore the poster in more detail here: cdn.prod.website-files.com/633286c697eb81…