Despite significant advances in parallel single-cell RNA sequencing revealing astonishing cellular heterogeneity in many tissue types, the spatial information in the tissue context remains missing. Spatial transcriptome sequencing technology is designed to distinguish the gene expression of individual cells in their original location. The technology is important for the identification of tissue function, tracking developmental processes, and pathological and molecular detection. Encoding the position information is the key to spatial transcriptomics because different methods have different encoding efficiencies and application scenarios. In this review, we focus on the latest technologies of single-cell spatial transcriptomics, including technologies based on microwell plates, barcoded bead arrays, microdissection, in situ hybridization, and barcode in situ targeting, as well as mixed separation-based technologies. Moreover, we compare these encoding methods for use as a reference when choosing the appropriate technology.
Keywords: Encoding method; In situ sequencing; Single-cell RNA sequencing; Spatial transcriptomics.
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