GCI Investigators provide Expert Commentary on Nature Methods’ “Method of the Year 2024”: Spatial Proteomics

Professors Daniela Quail and Logan Walsh from the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) have been invited by Nature Methods to provide expert commentary for its prestigious Method of the Year 2024 feature on spatial proteomics. This invitation highlights The GCI’s leadership in pioneering technologies that are reshaping biomedical research.

Spatial proteomics combines advanced tissue imaging with ultrasensitive analysis of single-cell protein composition, offering insights into protein organization within the native cellular environment. Before these innovations, imaging provided limited data, and proteomics lacked spatial context, analyzing whole systems without preserving structural organization. Spatial proteomics bridges this gap, revealing the intricate architecture and heterogeneity of biological systems, including the tumor microenvironment.

The GCI’s expertise in spatial proteomics is driven by its globally recognized Single Cell and Imaging Mass Cytometry (SCIMAP) Core Facility. This platform, among the world’s most productive, was significantly expanded through a $9.7M Canada Foundation for Innovation grant led by Professors Quail and Peter Siegel. These advancements solidify the GCI’s position as a leader in spatial omics research.

In their commentary for Nature Methods, Professors Quail and Walsh discuss the transformative potential of spatial proteomics. Their insights emphasize how this approach deepens understanding of tumor microenvironment complexity and how cellular spatial organization impacts tumor progression and therapy response. These advances not only reveal new therapeutic opportunities but also underscore the GCI’s commitment to unlocking the knowledge to cure.

The cover of the December edition of Nature Methods depicts a tumor microenvironment map generated by trainees Elham Karimi and Simon Milette from the Walsh and Quail Labs. This feature highlights the significance of the role of GCI researchers in the field of spatial proteomics.

Read the Nature Methods commentary here.