Giotto: a toolbox for integrative analysis and visualization of spatial expression data

Spatial transcriptomic and proteomic technologies have provided new opportunities to investigate cells in their native microenvironment. Here we present Giotto, a comprehensive and open-source toolbox for spatial data analysis and visualization. The analysis module provides end-to-end analysis by implementing a wide range of algorithms for characterizing tissue composition, spatial expression patterns, and cellular interactions. Furthermore, single-cell RNAseq data can be integrated for spatial cell-type enrichment analysis. The visualization module allows users to interactively visualize analysis outputs and imaging features. To demonstrate its general applicability, we apply Giotto to a wide range of datasets encompassing diverse technologies and platforms.

Automated summary

Giotto is a comprehensive open-source toolbox for spatial data analysis and visualization, providing end-to-end analysis with a wide range of algorithms for characterizing tissue composition and cellular interactions, as well as integrating single-cell RNAseq data for cell-type enrichment analysis. The visualization module allows interactive visualization of analysis outputs and imaging features, demonstrating its general applicability across diverse datasets and platforms.