Lab automation is essential in today’s labs, whether it is routine quality control testing of completed drug products, biopharma companies creating immunotherapy drugs, or academic laboratories doing research on gene mutations. The main benefits of laboratory automation are productivity, speed, and consistency — essentially eliminating the often tedious and laborious laboratory duties of scientists, providing them with more time to focus on more important aspects of science.

Laboratory automation tools include sample management software, benchtop liquid handlers, sample storage devices, and consumables like reagents, pipette tips, and microplates. For bigger laboratories handling hundreds or thousands of samples, there are work cells containing entire workflows, featuring tools such as thermal cyclers, robotics, and plate readers. The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening conference is also an essential event for analytical techniques, such as biosensors and cell imaging, which stand to gain from automation.

Some of the main professional disciplines that were represented at the conference include data informatics, nano- and microtechnologies, drug target strategies, biomarker discovery and applications, chemical biology, bioanalytical techniques, biologics discovery, high throughput technologies, and automation, and assay development and screening.

The conference facilitated professional, friendly interaction among technology/product users and providers, allowing attendees to make important connections, gather critical information, and be better equipped to help drive product buying decisions at their organizations.
Some of the SLAS 2020 Exhibition highlights include:

• The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Exhibition Theater that hosted various high-profile activities and Spotlight Solutions Presentations through the Exhibition and Conference.
• The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Booth where you could benefit from SLAS Career connections by interacting with representatives of the SLAS technical journals, SLAS team members and leaders, and other attendees of the exhibition. The booth also offered a great opportunity to recharge and relax.
• Innovation AveNEW, an area designated to host a selected group of start-up and emerging companies with promising new technologies.
• The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening NPA (New Product Award) that shines the spotlight on up to 3 new and particularly innovative services and products being showcased during the exhibition.
• The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Poster Gallery, offering the opportunity to interact directly with presenters and post authors, featuring hundreds of scientific posters.
• A presentation of new life sciences technology services, products, and discoveries from hundreds of leading service and product providers.

Through its conferences and exhibitions, and with the generous help and funding from companies like American Coradius International, the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening offers forums for information exchange and education to facilitate the study of, and enhance the practice and science of laboratory automation and screening.

• Laboratory Automation

To further the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening’s exempt goal by advancing education and science related to laboratory automation, specifically by promoting and furthering the study and enhancing the practice of laboratory automation.
• Biomolecular sciences