Q & A

1. What is Paoding?

Paoding (庖丁), originating from the ancient Chinese philosophical text Zhuangzi, refers to the legendary butcher known for his ability to dissect an ox with such precision and fluidity that he never needed to sharpen his knife. His skill lay not in brute force, but in understanding the structure—working with the natural separations between bones, tendons, and muscles. In modern metaphor, Paoding represents the pursuit of mastery through deep structural understanding and precise execution.

Inspired by this philosophy, Paoding is the name we give to our expansion proteomics framework—a series of technologies (e.g., ProteomEx, FAXP) that dissect biological complexity with spatial and molecular precision. Like the ancient art of Paoding, our methods aim to "cut through" tissue systems not by destroying them, but by expanding, clarifying, and mapping their inner structures with nanoscale resolution and integrated molecular detail.

2. What types of samples are compatible with FAXP?

FAXP is compatible with paraffin sections, OCT-embedded frozen sections, and vibratome sections. However, it is recommended to mount the sections on slides pretreated with polylysine for optimal adhesion and expansion performance.

3. Can stained samples be expanded?

Yes, stained samples can be expanded using FAXP. Slides stained with HE or immunofluorescence can be directly expanded using FAXP. However, re-staining is necessary after expansion. Currently, samples that have undergone immunohistochemistry—particularly those with strong chromogenic signals—are not suitable for expansion.

4. What staining methods are compatible with expanded samples?

After expansion, the samples can be stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and silver staining. Other staining methods may also be applicable but require further validation.