Sitges – October 08, 2026 -- MGI Tech Co., Ltd. unveiled its Stereo-seq OMNI Large Chip Design for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples at the third Conference of the European Society for Spatial Biology (ESSB), held September 28 to October 1 at Hotel Meliá Sitges near Barcelona.
New chip format expands capture area to 2 cm by 3 cm for FFPE research
The design builds on MGI's existing Stereo-seq OMNI V1.1 platform and is built for chip formats up to 2 cm by 3 cm, enabling researchers to profile larger tissues, multiple sections, or tissue microarray layouts within a single spatial experiment. Standard capture areas have limited researchers' ability to view larger or structurally diverse FFPE sections, a constraint the new format is engineered to address.
Wider capture area targets cancer and developmental biology studies
In cancer research, the expanded format allows investigators to examine tumor regions alongside surrounding tissue, including boundaries where cell populations interact. In developmental biology and immunology applications, researchers can track cell states or immune organization across broader tissue sections without piecing together data from separate regions.
MGI pairs chip launch with full spatial workflow presentation
Alongside the large-chip design, MGI presented its broader Stereo-seq workflow at the conference. Go Spatial automates post-imaging sample preparation for both FFPE and fresh frozen samples, while StereoLink assists H&E-guided tissue transfer from standard glass slides to Stereo-seq chips; early access to StereoLink is now available. MGI also showcased VisiOmics (PMIF-20RS), an automated multiplex immunofluorescence staining and imaging system that maps protein markers and cell phenotypes in FFPE sections, complementing Stereo-seq's gene-expression data with protein-level analysis.
Launch follows integration of STOmics spatial technology into MGI portfolio
The product extends MGI's spatial transcriptomics lineup following the integration of STOmics' spatial technologies into the company's broader portfolio. Fang Chen, Vice President of MGI and General Manager of Europe & Africa, said researchers increasingly need to study molecular signals across larger tissue areas, and the FFPE large-chip design is intended to support that wider spatial context.
ESSB appearance follows Go Spatial's European debut at STOC 2026
The large-chip launch follows the European introduction of Go Spatial at STOC 2026, positioning MGI to offer research groups a complementary option for FFPE tissue studies. The ESSB conference convened researchers across spatial biology disciplines for talks, posters, and working sessions, giving MGI direct exposure to sample preparation and data interpretation challenges faced by active research programs.