Researchers released ovrlpy, a quality‑control software that detects overlapping cell signals and tissue folds in spatial transcriptomics datasets, addressing a previously underrecognized source of error in multi‑layer spatial data. The tool was published in Nature Biotechnology and validated across multiple datasets. Concurrently, IRB Barcelona opened Spain’s first comprehensive Spatial Omics Platform to provide integrated workflows for high‑resolution tissue profiling, enabling wider access to spatial multi‑omic methods. Spatial transcriptomics maps gene expression within tissue architecture — a niche technique that requires careful QC to avoid misinterpretation. These twin moves — software to flag technical artifacts and national infrastructure to scale assays — lower barriers for labs using spatial methods and improve reproducibility across translational projects.