Alpenglow and Molecular Instruments Team Up to Unlock 3D RNA Imaging—and Launch the 3D Imaging World Cup 2025

Alpenglow and Molecular Instruments Team Up to Unlock 3D RNA Imaging—and Launch a Global Imaging Showdown

Spatial biology just took a major leap forward.

Molecular Instruments, the team behind the powerful HCR™ platform, and Alpenglow Biosciences, creators of the 3Di™ Hybrid Open-Top Light-Sheet (HOTLS) microscope, have joined forces to enable true 3D RNA imaging in whole tissues, organoids, embryos, and other intact biological systems—without the need for slicing or sectioning.

By combining MI’s deep-penetrating, high-contrast reagents with Alpenglow’s large-volume, high-resolution imaging platform, researchers can now visualize RNA targets throughout full biological structures—and extract quantitative insights with integrated AI analysis.

“With this partnership, we’re giving researchers a toolset that matches the complexity of biology itself,” said Nicholas Reder, MD, CEO of Alpenglow Biosciences. “This is about making full-volume spatial transcriptomics accessible and actionable.”

What makes this exciting?

• Deep-tissue clarity:
  HCR™ Gold reagents generate strong signal and minimal background, even in dense tissues.

• Whole-sample imaging:
  Alpenglow’s 3Di™ microscope can image volumes up to 12.5 cm × 7 cm × 1 cm—capturing full organs, tumors, and complex structures.

• Smarter analysis, faster answers:
  AI-powered tools process and analyze massive datasets, freeing scientists to focus on biology, not data management.

• Built to scale:
  Compatible with clearing, robotics, and high-throughput workflows—ideal for oncology, neuroscience, immunology, developmental biology, and drug discovery.

And there's more—introducing the 3D Imaging World Cup 2025

To celebrate the partnership, MI and Alpenglow are kicking off a global 3D imaging contest like no other.

From June 3 to September 8, labs around the world can enter by submitting a 60-second video showing their most compelling light-sheet dataset. Whether you're imaging tumors, brains, embryos, or organoids, this is your moment to shine.

Prizes include $2,500 cash, up to $50,000 in Alpenglow platform credits, and—of course—eternal bragging rights.

Bonus points if your submission uses HCR™ reagents.

Ready to compete?
Create a team, pick a name, and submit your entry by September 8.

Explore the technologies
• HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH: molecularinstruments.com
• 3Di™ HOTLS microscopy: alpenglowbiosciences.com