Innovations Highlight LabAutomation2011

LabAutomation2011, an international conference and exhibition on emerging laboratory automation technologies, welcomed 4,407 participants from around the world to the Palm Springs Convention Center (CA, USA) during January 29-February 2, 2011.

The conference, in conjunction with a large exhibition of laboratory technologies, brought together laboratory automation scientists, academics, business leaders, and students from around the globe.


Among the five-day event's educational highlights were 100 podium presentations from the field of laboratory automation, 17 short courses, 186 poster presentations, and 20 industry-sponsored workshops.

Plenary speakers included Chad A. Mirkin, PhD, George B. Rathmann professor of chemistry and director of International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL, USA), and member of the President's council of advisors on science and technology.

Prof. Mirkin spoke about methods for modifying nanoparticles with oligonucleotides and how they can be used as designer constructs for preparing highly ordered, highly functional materials. He discussed the many unusual fundamental properties that make these materials particularly useful in biodiagnostics and intracellular gene regulation.

LabAutomation2011 participants enjoyed the large exhibition. Three highly innovative emerging companies were guest exhibitors. Innovation AveNEW entrepreneurs shared their scientific inventiveness with LabAutomation2011 participants. The exhibitors included Fluorescence Innovations (Bozeman, MT, USA), Freeslate (Sunnyvale, CA, USA) and Inovia Technologies SA (Bex, Switzerland).

LabAutomation2011 new product award (NPA) winners included Cellasic (Hayward, CA, USA) for the Pearl Microfluidic Hepatocyte Culture System, Covaris, Inc. (Woburn, MA, USA) for the LE220 ultrasonicator, and Microsaic Systems Ltd. (Woking, United Kingdom) for its Microsaic 3500 MiD.

The smallest, quietest, and greenest mass-selective analyzer, Microsaic 3500 MiD analyzes samples in solution. Requiring no external vacuum pumps, it features a built-in PC and saves energy, gas, and sample consumption.

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) is a new nonprofit scientific organization uniting the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) and the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA).

"We are very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from both participants and exhibitors during the [LabAutomation] conference and exhibition,” said Michelle Palmer, SLAS President. "Scientific sessions were engaging and well attended, the exhibit floor was brimming with energy and activity, and our networking events were a success. It was also gratifying knowing that SLAS was able to provide career coaching and discount programs to help participants who have been greatly impacted by the industry's job market.”

Related Links:
LabAutomation2011
International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University
Fluorescence Innovations
Freeslate
Inovia Technologies SA
Cellasic
Covaris, Inc.
Microsaic Systems Ltd.
Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening