SPEX: A modular end-to-end platform for high-plex tissue spatial omics analysis

Recent advancements in transcriptomics and proteomics have opened the possibility for spatially resolved molecular characterization of tissue architecture with the promise of enabling a deeper understanding of tissue biology in either homeostasis or disease. The wealth of data generated by these technologies has recently driven the development of a wide range of computational methods. These methods have the requirement of advanced coding fluency to be applied and integrated across the full spatial omics analysis process, thus presenting a hurdle for widespread adoption by the biology research community. To address this, we introduce SPEX (Spatial Expression Explorer), a web-based analysis platform that employs modular analysis pipeline design, accessible through a user-friendly interface. SPEX's infrastructure allows for streamlined access to open-source image data management systems, analysis modules, and fully integrated data visualization solutions. Analysis modules include essential steps covering image processing, single-cell analysis, and spatial analysis. We demonstrate SPEX's ability to facilitate the discovery of biological insights in spatially resolved omics datasets from healthy tissue to tumor samples.