Molecular Instruments

Looking for a protein imaging workflow that fits your research needs? HCR™ Gold IF supports sensitive, multiplexed protein detection across manual and automated workflows, so researchers can choose the setup that best fits their sample, platform, and throughput needs. Configure your manual HCR™ Gold IF kit: store.molecularinstruments.com/new-kit/gold/if Interested in automated workflows? Contact us at info@molecularinstruments.com

Thank you to everyone who spent time with us at the 85th SDB Annual Meeting! It was a pleasure hearing about the developmental systems, sample types, and stages you’re working with, and talking through how #HCRtechnology can support your research. A special thank-you to our colleagues from @LeicaBio for joining us and helping answer questions about bringing HCR™ assays onto the automated BOND RX research stainer. If we missed you at SDB, reach out to us at info@molecularinstruments.com. We’d be happy to connect!

Are you heading to the SDB Annual Meeting? This year, we’ll be joined by our colleagues from @LeicaBio to talk about bringing familiar HCR™ assays onto the automated BOND RX research stainer for less hands-on staining and a faster path from signal to interpretation. Come stop by Booth #5 to connect with the MI and LBS teams! 📅 July 23–26 📍 Booth #5

On World Brain Day, we recognize the scientists, clinicians, and research teams working to better understand the brain. Their discoveries continue to shape what we know about neural development, function, and disease. We’re proud to support the people and research moving neuroscience forward.

There’s still time to enter the Best-in-Suit: HCR™ Image Contest! This submission from María Jesús Vásquez Ramírez showcases HCR™ Gold RNA-FISH in whole-mount zebrafish, capturing a key stage of ocular neurodevelopment with clear anatomical context. Have an image that reveals something meaningful about your system, target, or sample? We'd love to see it. 📥 Submit your entry here: lnkd.in/gyBws_yY 📷 Image credit: María Jesús Vásquez Ramírez, Zebrafish Research Hub, Center for Integrative Biology, Universidad Mayor (Chile), in collaboration with Unidad de Microscopía de la Universidad Mayor (UM2) and the @LiSIUM_Chile.

What can HCR™ imaging reveal about embryonic kidney development? In this webinar clip, @rkmille and @AdRoMora from @UTHealthHouston share how they use Xenopus laevis as a vertebrate model to study nephron development. Using #HCRtechnology, the team visualized gene expression in the embryonic kidney and mapped transcripts to specific nephron segments. The result: a clearer view of the molecular mechanisms that shape kidney development and inform disease-relevant biology. Catch the full webinar here: youtube.com/watch?v=czqh3V…

The countdown to the Society for Developmental Biology Annual Meeting is on! SDB is one of our favorite places to catch up with the developmental biology community, and it’s always fun to see how #HCRtechnology is being used across both model and non-model organisms. If you’ll be there, come say hi to our team! We’d love to hear what you’re working on and chat about how the HCR™ platform might fit into your work. 📅 July 23–26 📍 Booth #5

HCR™ Gold IF is now available on the @LeicaBio BOND RX research staining instrument, bringing automated multiplex protein detection to an established automation platform. This workflow supports: • Compatibility with existing primaries, eliminating the need to rely on predetermined panels • Parallel amplification of same-species primaries in a single workflow • Minimal added hands-on complexity • Efficient, reproducible multiplex workflows that avoid lengthy optimization cycle To get started with HCR™ Gold IF on the BOND RX, reach out to info@molecularinstruments.com.

MiRNAs, siRNAs, and other sequence-constrained RNA targets have historically been challenging to image with high sensitivity. Next-generation HCR™ HiFi Probes now enable high-fidelity detection of these short targets across manual and automated workflows, as well as in multiplexed assays with other RNA or protein targets. Shown here is let-7a-5p, a member of the highly conserved let-7 microRNA family that helps regulate cell differentiation and repress oncogenic pathways. Its well-established role as a tumor suppressor has made it a relevant target in both cancer and developmental biology research. Interested in bringing short target detection into your workflow? Explore our kits below: Manual: store.molecularinstruments.com/new-kit/pro/rn… Automated: store.hcrimaging.com/new-kit/rna-ish

Some images are hard to forget. The HCR™ Image Contest: Best-in-Suit is your chance to share them! We’re looking for standout submissions that capture the detail, color, and character of HCR™ technology in action. If you’ve generated an image you keep coming back to, we'd love to see it. 📥 Submit your image here: lnkd.in/gyBws_yY

We’re excited to share that HCR™ Gold IF is now available on the @LeicaBio BOND RX research staining platform! By pairing HCR™ Gold IF with trusted BOND RX automation, researchers can bring multiplex protein detection into an automated format that offers: • Universal compatibility with unmodified primary antibodies, keeping existing antibodies and validation work intact • Parallel amplification of same-species primaries without stripping or sequential workflows • Encoding completed in minutes, without adding meaningful hands-on time Together, we’re making advanced multiplex protein analysis more accessible through automated workflows designed for efficiency, flexibility, and high-quality results. Learn more in our press release and brochure: 🔗 Press release: businesswire.com/news/home/2026… 🔗 Brochure: cdn.prod.website-files.com/633286c697eb81…

Short RNA targets are notoriously hard to detect. MicroRNAs and siRNAs leave little room for probes to bind, and even less room for error. That's exactly where the next-generation HCR™ HiFi Probe design comes in. It's purpose-built to take on even the shortest, most challenging RNA targets. And it's now available for manual workflows, extending a capability already established in automated workflows. More labs can now take this on at the bench, no specialized instrumentation required. The result: stronger on-target signal and background-suppressed performance across a broad range of RNA targets, including microRNAs and siRNAs. Shown here is miR-122a, a liver-enriched microRNA that helps regulate liver-specific gene expression and function. Curious whether your target is compatible? Reach out to discuss your experimental goals at info@molecularinstruments.com.

A recent preprint from the University of California, Berkeley, Martik Lab (@MeganMartikPhD) used #HCRtechnology to reveal a previously unrecognized layer of Twist1 regulation during cranial neural crest development. By combining sensitive, multiplexed RNA detection with cell-type-specific markers, Busby et al. identified a conserved post-transcriptional mechanism that appears to control Twist1 transcript accumulation across vertebrates. Dr. Busby shared, "The sensitivity of HCR™ staining allowed us to observe nascent Twist1 transcripts in the neural tube that would have been missed with traditional ISH staining." Check out the preprint here: biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

One of the most rewarding parts of being on the road is hearing how our users are putting #HCRtechnology to work in their own labs. During our time in the UK, from the European Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting to our first-ever HCR™ Office Hours, we loved connecting with researchers exploring a wide range of questions, organisms, and applications. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and shared more about their projects. We’re looking forward to returning again soon!

Got an HCR™ image you’re proud of? 🃏The HCR™ Image Contest: Best-in-Suit is open, and we’re looking for images that capture the detail, color, and character of your work. If you have a favorite result, send it our way! 📥 Submit your entry here: lnkd.in/gyBws_yY

Multiplex immunofluorescence doesn’t have to be complicated. In Episode 3 of our HCR™ HiFi Encoder series, we walk through the protocol and show just how easy it is to encode your primary antibodies for HCR™ Gold IF. Follow along step by step and see how the HCR™ HiFi Encoder supports flexible, high-fidelity multiplex IF with minimal added complexity. View the full walkthrough here: youtube.com/watch?v=kA_Ac2…

We’re looking forward to attending the 10th Biennial European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology Meeting at the University of Glasgow! If you’ll be there, stop by and meet Joyce Yoo and Michelle Saylor from the MI team. We’d love to hear more about your research and talk about how #HCRtechnology could support your next set of experiments. Schedule a meeting here: calendly.com/molecularinstr…

Looking for a quick way to get familiar with HCR™ HiFi Encoder-driven multiplex IF? We’ve put together a YouTube playlist featuring the 10-minute encoding process, along with workflow walkthroughs, step-by-step demos, and practical tips to help you get started with confidence. Whether you’re exploring the assay for the first time or just need a refresher, it’s an easy way to see how HCR™ Gold IF comes together from start to finish. Check out the playlist here: youtube.com/playlist?list=…