On February 6, 2025, 10x Genomics, Harvard, and Vizgen finally settled their ongoing legal dispute. For those of us working in spatial biology, this is big news. I’ve followed this battle closely, actively working with great people who were caught on both sides. Legal fights like this can slow down innovation, and honestly, I’m just relieved that we can all move forward.
This whole thing started with the groundbreaking work in spatial transcriptomics by George Church and his team at Harvard. Harvard licensed its FISSEQ technology to ReadCoor, which later became part of 10x Genomics. At the same time, Harvard played a key role in MERFISH, the technology that powers Vizgen. With 10x making huge investments in Visium and Xenium and Vizgen becoming a major player in single-cell spatial transcriptomics, tensions over IP were inevitable.
Now that this is settled, we can shift our focus back to what really matters - pushing the field forward. The balance between protecting IP and keeping science open has always been tricky, but this agreement shows that coexistence is possible. Harvard remains a driving force in innovation, and investors can have more confidence in the companies bringing these discoveries to market.
For researchers and clinicians, this is a win. It means fewer legal hurdles and more access to powerful spatial tools. Here, the real excitement lies in combining spatial transcriptomics with proteomics and other high-resolution approaches. We’re moving toward a future where we can look at hundreds to thousands of RNA and proteins in the same tissue sample, and that’s a game-changer.
Looking ahead, spatial biology is entering a new era - one focused on integration, validation, and clinical application. I want to personally thank 10x Genomics, Vizgen, and Harvard for finding a way forward. At Terrain Life Science, where I now spend my time, we’re all about pushing the boundaries of spatial proteomics and making these technologies matter in real-world patient care. This settlement isn’t just about ending a lawsuit - it’s about unlocking the next wave of scientific breakthroughs. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes next.
