Bioptimus has announced the launch of its Spatial Tissue Embedding Learning Atlas (STELA), a multinational spatial data generation initiative anchored by a partnership with 10x Genomics, Inc. and Broad Clinical Labs.
Bioptimus is building the data infrastructure necessary to power M-Optimus, the first multimodal and multiscale world model of biology. STELA will serve as the data backbone for M-Optimus, generating massive datasets designed to decrypt the complex organisation of human tissues. M-Optimus will leverage this multimodal repository to map how molecular and cellular interactions drive disease in fields like oncology and inflammation, ultimately allowing researchers to anticipate patient responses to novel therapies, accelerate drug development, and design more effective immunotherapies.
Starting with 10x Genomics’ Xenium spatial transcriptomics and designed to integrate additional spatial and molecular profiling technologies over time, STELA will generate harmonised datasets, integrating: high-resolution spatial transcriptomics, matched histopathology imaging, multi-omics data (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics), with longitudinal clinical records. The initiative aims to profile up to 100,000 patient tissue specimens in the US, Europe, and Asia, establishing the world’s largest clinically linked, spatially profiled, multimodal patient data atlas.
Participating hospitals and research institutions will contribute samples under standardized protocols and, in return, receive access to rich spatial characterisation and foundation model capabilities. This collaboration empowers clinicians to turn raw data into actionable insights through more precise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. By aligning data generation protocols, data processing and storage, and AI model development within a unified framework at a diverse, global scale, STELA establishes foundational infrastructure for the next era of biological AI.
“Today, most patients’ diagnostic data is used to inform decisions for only that individual. We envision a world where every patient can contribute insights to better inform the care and treatment outcomes of future patients; just as patients with other diseases, other heritage and even from the past are informing their treatment,” said Jean Philippe Vert, co-founder and CEO of Bioptimus.
“STELA is the fuel to power M-Optimus, allowing us to map the intricate interactions between cells and tissues, across indications, at unprecedented scales, unlocking a new era of precision medicine.”
“Many of the most important questions in medicine come down to understanding how cells interact within complex human tissues,” said Serge Saxonov, CEO and co-founder of 10x Genomics.
“By enabling spatial profiling at unprecedented scale, STELA will generate foundational datasets that allow researchers to connect the underlying biology with disease outcomes, unlocking new insights that can accelerate and improve therapeutic discovery and development.”
Bioptimus will anchor its STELA initiative through a collaboration with Broad Clinical Laboratories. Beyond data production, the two organisations will co-develop next-generation, AI-driven quality control metrics and predictive tools designed to optimise assay performance and automate biological insights.
“To unlock the true clinical potential of spatial biology, we must pair massive-scale data generation with uncompromising data quality,” Niall Lennon, chief scientific officer of Broad Clinical Labs said.
“By combining our high-throughput laboratory workflows with Bioptimus’ advanced AI, we are co-developing next-generation quality control metrics that ensure the highest data integrity. This unprecedented technical precision guarantees that the insights generated by STELA can be confidently translated into actionable clinical diagnostics and precision therapies.”