NanoString Technologies (NASDAQ: NSTG) is a publicly held provider of life science tools for translational research. The company's technology enables a wide variety of basic research and translational medicine applications. NanoString's products are based on a novel digital molecular barcoding technology invented at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle under direction of Dr. Leroy Hood. The company was founded in 2003 with an exclusive license to develop and market the technology. In 2008, NanoString launched its first commercial instrument system and began international sales operations with its first multiplexed assays for gene expression analysis. In 2010, the company launched new applications for the system to support microRNA analysis and copy number variation detection. In 2019, the company launched the GeoMx™ Digital Spatial Profiler enabling highly-multiplexed spatial profiling of RNA and protein targets in a variety of sample types, including FFPE tissue sections.