Biomarker Biotech Launches China's First Subcellular Micro-well Spatial Transcriptomics Chip, S1000, to Advance Disease Research, Diagnosis, and Therapy

In recent years, with the rapid development and application of single-cell sequencing technologies, our understanding of cellular gene expression has advanced to the single-cell level. By sampling at different time points, single-cell transcriptomics enables the acquisition of information on the temporal dynamics of gene expression at the single-cell level.

However, gene expression exhibits temporal and spatial specificity. Since single-cell sequencing requires mechanical dissociation or enzymatic digestion to generate a single-cell suspension, spatial information from tissue samples is inevitably lost, making it difficult to obtain data on cellular composition and gene expression across different regions of the tissue.

To address this challenge, spatial transcriptomics has emerged. This technology enables the simultaneous acquisition of cellular spatial location information and gene expression data, thereby advancing research into the true in situ gene expression profiles of cells within tissues. It provides a critical research tool for multiple fields, including tissue cell function, microenvironmental interactions, developmental lineage tracing, and disease pathology.

Following single-cell sequencing technology, spatial transcriptomics has emerged as another hot topic in biotechnology research, being named “Technology of the Year” by Nature in 2020 and by Nature Methods in 2022.

According to data from Research And Markets, the spatial biology market is set to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5% over the next seven years. From transcriptome sequencing to single-cell transcriptome sequencing, and now to spatial transcriptomics technologies, continuous scientific advancements are ushering spatial omics into a new phase in biological research.

April 20,Beijing BioMarker Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “BioMarker”) has officially launched Baichuang S1000, China’s first subcellular-level microwell spatial transcriptomics chip.BioMarker’s S1000 Spatial Chip enables researchers to integrate multi-stage atlas data, generating comprehensive subcellular-resolution spatiotemporal expression atlases, thereby providing stronger decision-making support for disease diagnosis and treatment as well as drug development.

Following the press conference, VCBeat interviewedMr. Zheng Hongkun, President of BioMarker，Academician Chen Runsheng, Chinese Academy of Sciences, andMr. Chen Hongwu, General Manager of Guoke Jiahe Investment Management Co., Ltd.Conducted an exclusive interview to gain deeper insights into the R&D background, technical principles, and the value for scientific research and the market of the Baichuang S1000.

BioMarker, established in May 2009, has developed three core business segments—scientific services, biological cloud platforms, and intelligent manufacturing—based on the development and application of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics technologies. It primarily serves research universities, research institutes, independent laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, agricultural breeding companies, and healthcare institutions both in China and abroad. Currently, its business coverage extends to more than 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, as well as numerous overseas countries.

Since its establishment, the company has assembled a highly innovative R&D team comprising nearly 600 technical and research personnel. Over 60% of these employees hold master’s degrees or higher, including more than 20 senior engineers and experts with senior professional titles, as well as over ten individuals with overseas study or entrepreneurial experience. Their specialized research spans multiple disciplines, including bioinformatics, biotechnology, agronomy, medicine, computer science, and mathematics.

The company has achieved a continuous stream of scientific research outcomes, publishing nearly 1,000 high-quality collaborative articles in prestigious international journals such as Nature, Cell, and Nature Genetics, with a cumulative impact factor exceeding 4,500. It holds more than 60 national invention patents and nearly 200 software copyrights.

Mr. Zheng Hongkun, President of BioMarkerIt was stated that previously, genetic testing was performed by pooling numerous cells at the tissue level, which yielded neither single-cell resolution nor spatial location information. From the perspectives of both basic scientific research and clinical diagnostic testing, there is an urgent need to construct high-precision spatiotemporal gene atlases. This necessitates the use of high-precision spatial transcriptomics sequencing chips for experimental implementation, thereby creating substantial demand in this area.

However, since the commercialization of spatial transcriptomics sequencing technology, it has been entirely dominated by foreign companies. To break the monopoly of foreign enterprises in this field and respond to national support for independent scientific research platforms, BioMarker has been dedicated to the research and development of spatial transcriptomics sequencing technology since 2020, overcoming technical bottlenecks.

Building on its extensive R&D efforts and technical expertise in single-cell sequencing, and in response to the market demand for higher-precision spatial omics products, BioMarker dedicated approximately two years to the targeted design and development of the BaiChuang S1000 Spatial Chip.

Baichuang S1000 is China’s first subcellular-level microwell spatial chip. Its most significant breakthrough lies in leveraging microwell technology to achieve a spatial resolution of 5 μm, whereas conventional chip manufacturing remains at a resolution of 100 μm, marking a major technological advancement.

Zheng Hongkun stated, “This chip falls within the domain of intelligent manufacturing, which is a key focus of our future development. Given that intelligent manufacturing products are highly R&D-intensive and require substantial investment, we are also considering further financing. We look forward to collaborating with institutional partners to co-develop more cutting-edge technological products.”

To date, BioMarker has completed two rounds of financing and will launch its next round in May to support ongoing product R&D and market expansion.

Academician Chen Runsheng, Chinese Academy of SciencesStatement: For the treatment of tumors, we first need to understand the basis of tumor occurrence, development, metastasis, and deterioration, in order to achieve more precise prevention, more accurate diagnosis, more effective treatment, and more rational use of medications. The prerequisite for all this is to have a certain understanding of tumors.

A key characteristic of tumors is their heterogeneity. For instance, in liver cancer, the cellular architecture and transcriptomic profiles of tumor cells vary across different regions of the liver. Only by precisely characterizing tumor cells from distinct regions of liver cancer can we differentiate early-stage from late-stage lesions, thereby inferring the processes of tumorigenesis and metastasis. This approach enables more effective identification of the origin of tumor development and facilitates the capture of optimal therapeutic opportunities.

Therefore, the treatment of tumors is essentially a process of understanding tumor heterogeneity and tracing their origins. Single-cell spatial transcriptomics provides a highly advantageous tool for the precise diagnosis and treatment of tumors.

On the other hand, tumorigenesis also results from the functional impairment of tumor-eliminating immune cells; therefore, precise characterization of the tumor microenvironment is essential.

The main improvements of the Baichuang S1000 areUtilizing Micropore TechnologyReduce the resolution from the internationally standard 100 μm to 5 μm., thereby significantly improving measurement accuracy. By advancing from bulk cell measurements in the past to characterizing the internal architecture of tumors and the tumor microenvironment at single-cell or even subcellular resolution, we can achieve a more precise understanding of tumors.

Furthermore, the Baichuang S1000 spatial chip willAccelerating the Construction of Spatiotemporal Dynamic Graphs, particularly in accelerating research on high-resolution atlases, which helps break industry monopolies and speed up the accumulation of spatial data.

In the future, with the widespread adoption of technology and the continuous expansion of application scenarios, I believe that from both a technological and a market perspective,Baichuang's S1000 spatial computing chip holds strong market prospects.

The launch of BioMarker’s S1000 Spatial Chip marks the breaking of foreign monopolies on spatial transcriptomics technology, ushering in an era of domestic manufacturing., thereby advancing spatial transcriptomics research in China. The launch of the Baichuang S1000 marks a successful culmination of BioMarker’s years of dedicated R&D efforts, serving as a solid milestone that ushers the company into a new chapter of development.

Chen Hongwu, General Manager of Guoke Jiahe Investment Management Co., Ltd.It stated that every technological breakthrough would drive the rapid development of the industry. Meanwhile, industrial demands would also spur technological advancements; these two aspects are mutually reinforcing. Over the past period, gene sequencing services have remained a hotspot in the capital market.

China still lags significantly behind foreign countries in the biomedical sector. Currently, there are few domestic companies that possess their own core technologies, equipment, and consumables. As one of these companies, BioMarker is poised to capture significant market opportunities in the future with the launch of its Baichuang S1000 chip.

In Zheng Hongkun’s view, the long-term value of technology lies in identifying unique application scenarios. In the future, the BioMarker S1000 will have two application directions,First, technical research; second, clinical testing。“On the research front, chips can help resolve many elusive issues at the cellular level. For instance, in oncology, they enable the identification of characteristics of pathological tissues and cells at the cellular level, thereby facilitating targeted breakthroughs. Furthermore, building on this foundation, chips can accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical applications by advancing research findings, such as supporting tumor drug development and enhancing clinical diagnostic technologies,” said Zheng Hongkun.

Zheng Hongkun stated that the market for genetic testing and gene sequencing is currently booming, with spatial omics and single-cell technologies being the hottest areas within the gene sequencing field.Notably, the global market size for spatial omics is projected to reach $3–5 billion within the next five years.Therefore, the future market potential for chips is vast.

Furthermore, in the clinical domain, there is an urgent need for novel methods and technologies to address complex and refractory diseases such as cancer, thereby enhancing tumor diagnosis, adjuvant therapy, and drug development. Consequently, the market potential for chip-based technologies in clinical applications is immense.