From Tools to Translation: Genomics Trends to Watch in 2026
A new year brings a time to make new predictions. As the genomics field continues to evolve, new tools and applications are pushing NGS, spatial, and single cell technologies into new areas. In doing so, several trends are beginning to emerge.
Several questions stand out as especially relevant to understanding where the science—and the industry—are headed next: Will whole-genome sequencing or spatial technologies move into routine clinical care? How will the role of long-read sequencing and multi-omics change this year? How will advances in data analysis reshape genomics? Will population-scale genomics show clear measurable impact on patient outcomes? How will AI support clinical interpretation and treatment decisions?
To help start to unpack what may happen this year, we turned to the experts at Codex Insights for their perspectives on what 2026 may bring.
“We will likely see multi-omics studies becoming the standard for most approaches in clinical and research spaces. This includes methods for spatial profiling—RNA and protein, and even spatial metabolomics.”
Dr. Chris Mason, Professor of Computational Genomics in Computational Biomedicine at Weill Cornell Medicine
“2026 is likely to be the year where technologies—particularly spatial platforms—stabilize for plex, resolution and throughput. We will see technology harmonization studies help inform on applications in translational and clinical research and hopefully breakthroughs beyond omic-integration studies alone.”
Dr. Arutha Kulasinghe, lead of the Clinical-oMx Lab at the Frazer Institute, University of Queensland
“We will see the first true clinical proof-of-concept of tools that use single-cell and spatial technologies. These efforts will move beyond today’s primary focus on clinical trials and toward concrete prototypes deployed in real clinical settings.”
Dr. Holger Heyn, ICREA Professor at the Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG)
These are just a few of the trends we’ll be keeping an eye on as genomics heads into 2026. As the technology and applications continue to evolve, we will be watching closely and sharing insights. Please subscribe to our newsletter for more perspectives, analysis, and posts diving deeper into the ideas shaping the field.