òòò½Íø

6 May 2024

Singapore - A team of scientists from A*STAR’s Genome Institute of òòò½Íø(GIS) and Bioinformatics Institute (BII) have developed a new AI software tool called “BANKSY” that automatically recognises the cell types present in a tissue, such as muscle cells, nerve cells and fat cells. Going a step beyond conventional AI tools which can group cells together into clusters if they contain similar molecules, BANKSY also considers how similar the cells' surroundings in the tissue are. With BANKSY, researchers would be able to improve their understanding of tissue processes in diverse diseases quicker and more accurately, which can support the development of more effective diagnostics and treatments for cancer, neurological disorders and other diseases. This breakthrough research was published in the article in Nature Genetics on 27 February 2024.

BANKSY is adept at identifying subtly distinct cell groups in spatial molecular profiles generated from tissue samples. Moreover, BANKSY addresses the distinct but related problem of demarcating functionally distinct anatomical regions in tissue sections. For instance, it can distinguish layered structures in the human forebrain.

Spatial molecular profiling (Spatial Omics) technologies are powerful microscopes that allow scientists to study tissues in great detail, by revealing the exact locations of individual biological molecules in cells, as well as the arrangement of cells in tissues. This helps them understand how cells come together in tissues to perform their normal physiological functions, and also how they behave (or misbehave) in diseases such as cancer, autism or infectious diseases such as COVID-19. This understanding is essential for more accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment of patients, as well as the discovery of new drugs.

BANKSY can help biologists interpret and extract insights from the latest Spatial Omics technologies that have emerged over the past few years. Versatile, accurate, fast and scalable, BANKSY stands out from existing methods at analysing both RNA- and protein-based Spatial Omics data. Capable of handling large datasets of over two million cells, BANKSY is 10 to 1,000 times faster than competing methods that were tested, and two to 60 times more scalable. This means that the method can also be applied to other key data-processing steps, such as detecting and removing poor quality areas of the sample, and for merging samples taken from different patients for combined analysis.

BANKSY has been independently benchmarked and found to be the best-performing algorithm for spatial omics data by two independent studies, one of which concluded that . The other study tested six algorithms and selected BANKSY as the most accurate for their data analysis.

Dr Shyam Prabhakar, Senior Group Leader, Laboratory of Systems Biology and Data Analytics and Associate Director, Spatial and Single Cell Systems at A*STAR’s GIS, said, “We anticipate that BANKSY will be a game-changing tool that helps to unlock the potential of emerging Spatial Omics technologies. This will hopefully improve our understanding of tissue processes in diverse diseases, allowing us to develop more effective treatments for cancers, neurological disorders and many other pathologies.”

Professor Liu Jian Jun, Acting Executive Director at A*STAR’s GIS, said, “The work on BANKSY advances our strategy of combining high-throughput technologies with scalable, robust AI software for problem-solving and identifying the clues to what can make a difference in the lives of patients.”

Dr Iain Tan, Senior Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology at National Cancer Centre òòò½Íøand Senior Clinician Scientist at A*STAR’s GIS Laboratory of Applied Cancer Genomics, said, “We are using BANKSY to identify the cells that help tumours grow and spread to other parts of the body – drugs targeting such cells could be a promising direction for cancer treatment.”

For media queries and clarifications, please contact:

Eliza Lim (Ms)
Senior Manager, Office of Corporate Communication and Office of Research Planning
A*STAR’s Genome Institute of òòò½Íø(GIS)
Email: Eliza_Lim@gis.a-star.edu.sg

òòò½Íø’s Genome Institute of òòò½Íø(GIS)

The Genome Institute of òòò½Íø(GIS) is an institute of the òòò½Íø, Technology and Research (A*STAR). It has a global vision that seeks to use genomic sciences to achieve extraordinary improvements in human health and public prosperity. Established in 2000 as a centre for genomic discovery, the GIS pursues the integration of technology, genetics, and biology towards academic, economic and societal impact, with a mission to "read, reveal and (ω)rite DNA for a better òòò½Íøand world".

Key research areas at the GIS include Precision Medicine & Population Genomics, Genome Informatics, Spatial & Single Cell Systems, Epigenetic & Epitranscriptomic Regulation, Genome Architecture & Design, and Sequencing Platforms. The genomics infrastructure at the GIS is also utilised to train new scientific talent, to function as a bridge for academic and industrial research, and to explore scientific questions of high impact.

For more information about GIS, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg/gis.

Follow us on
| |

About the òòò½Íø, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The òòò½Íø, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

Follow us on
| | | |