The Spatial Biology Insights European Research Grant Award

Isabel Quiros Gonzales
University of Oviedo

Effect of neuroendocrine plasticity in prostate cancer cells upon tumour microenvironment.
Dr. Quiros-Gonzalez’s work focuses on the effects of neuroendocrine differentiation on tumour cell plasticity. By using highly-multiplexed immunohistochemistry they are planning on exploring the tumor microenvironment in neuroendocrine-differentiated tumours. They will compare the different compartments (immune, vascular, and stroma) where tumours are not present in order to understand the effects of neuroendocrine cells in the tumour microenvironment.

Maria Semitekolou
Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens

Dissecting the complexity of non-small cell lung cancer lesions by performing a multiscale immune profiling strategy.
Dr. Semitekolou’s work focuses on mapping the cells that infiltrate the lung tumor microenvironment in order to map for cell subsets that are responsible for tumor recognition and control. By using a multimodal immune profiling strategy that comprehends scRNAseq, CyTOF and now highly multiplexed IHC, they want to identify the distinct immune cell compartments that reside in the tumor site and periphery of different non-small cell lung cancer patients, in an attempt to uncover novel predictive biomarkers using non-invasive strategies.

The prize winners will have the chance to stain their samples with the Maxpar® Human Immuno-Oncology IMC Panel Kit and 5 extra antibodies of their choice, which will then be run on a Hyperion Imaging System. This high-plex imaging approach will allow them to uncover new spatial biology insights.

We also want to thank everyone who entered the competition; we received many outstanding applications and appreciate the time and effort that went into these.