Bring virtual staining into your research workflows

Virtual staining replaces chemical staining with a non-destructive, computational workflow for tissue analysis.

Virtual staining transforms the tissue analysis workflow by removing chemical staining steps while preserving tissue for downstream use, accelerating analysis, and enabling integration with molecular, spatial, and computational data.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

How it works

How virtual staining enhances research workflows

Virtual staining integrates into existing tissue analysis workflows, enhancing each step from imaging to downstream analysis without consuming additional tissue.

Same tissue. More stains. More data.

01
Preserve valuable samples

Generate virtual stain images without chemical processing, keeping tissue intact for downstream molecular and multi-modal workflows.

02
Accelerate workflow timelines

Replace time-intensive staining protocols with rapid digital generation, reducing turnaround from days to minutes.

03
Standardize image quality

Produce consistent, artifact-free images independent of staining variability, ensuring reproducible results across studies and over time without batch-to-batch variation.

04
Enable multi-modal analysis

Integrate morphology with molecular, spatial, and computational data to support advanced tissue analysis and multi-modal workflows.

05
Enable reanalysis and flexibility

Apply multiple virtual stains to the same sample or revisit archived data without additional tissue processing.

Workflow integration

Where virtual staining fits in your workflow

Virtual staining is applied after image acquisition, generating virtual stain images without altering the tissue and supporting downstream analysis.

Select a step above to see details

Real-World Applications of Virtual Staining

Pictor Labs works with leading biopharma companies, CROs, and academic medical centers to integrate virtual staining into real-world workflows. These deployments focus on solving practical constraints, tissue limitations, workflow delays, and variability, without changing how experts work.

Biopharma - Calibration + Tissue

Maximizing the value of every tissue sample across drug development programs

Across drug development programs, tissue is a limited and valuable resource. Every additional stain, whether H&E, a special stain, or an IHC marker, typically requires another section cut from a finite tissue block. At the same time, stain appearance can vary across sites, batches, and studies, making consistent interpretation more challenging.

Pictor Labs' virtual staining, calibrated to a laboratory's own staining standards, enables generating additional stains from a single scanned slide. This approach enables teams to preserve scarce tissue for downstream molecular and spatial assays while maintaining a consistent stain appearance across programs, sites, and study timelines.

Impact

  • Preserves tissue for downstream molecular and spatial assays
  • Reduces the need for additional sectioning, re-staining, and chemical processing
  • Supports a consistent visual staining standard across studies, sites, and programs
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CRO - Workflow + Speed

Reducing turnaround time across multi-site studies without changing existing workflows

A global CRO faced stain turnaround delays, slide logistics challenges, and workflow bottlenecks that were impacting project timelines, particularly across multi-site clinical trials.

By integrating virtual staining into the existing workflow, the organization removed dependency on chemical processing steps and reduced the need to ship slides between sites for staining or review. Digitally generated stains could be accessed immediately and reanalyzed or re-stained on demand, while maintaining established lab operations.

Impact

  • Accelerates access to stain outputs across sites
  • Reduces workflow bottlenecks and shipping dependencies
  • Enables on-demand reanalysis and virtual re-staining
  • Maintains existing processes and lab workflows
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Veterinary Pathology Labs - Insight Expansion

Expanding analytical insight from limited tissue samples

A veterinary pathology laboratory sought to maximize the information available from limited biopsy material while preserving tissue for future molecular testing and research applications.

In traditional workflows, each additional stain consumes another tissue section, reducing the tissue available for downstream analysis. Pictor Labs' virtual staining can generate multiple stain views from a single scanned slide, enabling broader pathological evaluation while helping preserve tissue for future testing needs.

Impact

  • Enables broader pathological evaluation from a single scanned slide
  • Supports more consistent stain appearance across global laboratory networks by reducing variability between sites, protocols, and batches
  • Expands access to stain types that may not be readily available in all regions
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Applications

Applications across tissue analysis workflows

Virtual staining supports diverse tissue analysis workflows, from foundational histology research to advanced spatial and multi-modal applications.

01
Histopathology Research & Digital Review
Accelerate tissue morphology assessment and enable consistent digital review across histopathology research workflows.
  • Tissue screening and morphology assessment
  • Digital pathology review and collaboration
  • AI-enabled image analysis and segmentation
See how this works in histopathology workflows
02
Molecular Dissection & ROI Selection
Enable precise region-of-interest identification while preserving RNA/DNA integrity for downstream molecular analysis workflows.
  • Tumor or region-of-interest identification
  • Macrodissection and microdissection guidance
  • Preparation for sequencing and multi-omics workflows
See how this works in molecular dissection
03
Spatial Biology & Biomarker Discovery
Add morphological context to spatial and multiplex assays to support biomarker discovery and multi-modal data integration.
  • Spatial transcriptomics and profiling
  • Multiplex imaging (IF/IHC) interpretation
  • Biomarker discovery and validation
See how this works in spatial biology
04
Toxicology & Drug Development
Improve throughput, reproducibility, and data integration across preclinical toxicology and drug development workflows.
  • Preclinical safety assessment
  • Target organ and tissue response analysis
  • Pharmacodynamic and efficacy studies
See how this works in toxicology studies
05
Biobanking & Retrospective Analysis
Unlock additional value from archived and limited samples through non-destructive digital staining and reanalysis workflows.
  • Retrospective analysis of archived samples
  • Cohort expansion using existing tissue and slides
  • Application of new markers or analysis methods to historical data
  • Data harmonization across studies, sites, and timepoints
  • Reanalysis of existing datasets without additional tissue processing
See how this works in your research
06
Veterinary Research & Comparative Pathology
Support veterinary and comparative research workflows with consistent digital histology and cross-species analysis capabilities.
  • Companion animal and preclinical tissue analysis
  • Comparative pathology across species and disease models
  • Cross-species biomarker exploration and validation
  • Digital pathology review and collaboration across sites
  • Training and standardization of histological interpretation
See how this works in comparative research