10x Genomics introduced Atera, a new in situ spatial biology platform designed to deliver whole-transcriptome spatial analysis with single-cell sensitivity at scale. The company debuted the system at AACR Annual Meeting 2026, highlighting early access data from major research institutions including the June Lab at the Perelman School of Medicine and DKFZ. Atera is built to support large-scale studies across both fresh-frozen and FFPE tissue, aiming to reduce trade-offs that have historically constrained spatial platforms by scale, sensitivity and gene selection. The positioning targets translational research where tissue context matters for biomarker discovery and mechanism work. The launch matters for biotech drug discovery teams that increasingly need spatially resolved expression data to understand tumor microenvironments, response states and resistance niches—particularly in oncology and immunology development programs.