From the High-throughput mass spectrometry in drug discovery special issue: By pairing acoustic ejection with high-res TOF MS (Echo® MS+ + ZenoTOF 7600), researchers from Biogen achieved 1–2 sec intact protein analysis from 384/1536-well plates. https://ow.ly/6qtc50YoEXb

The torch has been passed from Boston to Vienna. Meet the 12 startups named to the #SLASEurope2026 Innovation AveNEW: https://events.rdmobile.com/Exhibitors/Index/19692?Search=&sort=Name&display=Grid&mode=All&pagenumber=0&SelectedTags=109928#SLASEurope2026

From SLAS Technology: This GE study pairs multi-target paramagnetic beads with magnetic ratcheting to rapidly isolate 18 bacteria + model viruses directly from mL-scale samples (<30 min). PCR-ready, semi-automated, and built for scale. https://ow.ly/uvbB50YoENk

Before we head to #SLASEurope2026 in Vienna, we'll be making 2 stops in Europe. You're invited to join us next Monday at the Bayer Life Hub Lyon for an afternoon of presentations, discussion and networking sponsored by Beckman Coulter Life Sciences. Reserve your spot: https://ow.ly/Sq0c50YnQ7J#SLASEurope2026

From SLAS Technology -- From bottleneck to breakthrough: a magnetic ratcheting system captures bacteria and virus models directly from samples, enabling rapid (<30 min) prep for downstream PCR analysis. https://www.slas-technology.org/article/S2472-6303(25)00073-1/fulltext

From SLAS Technology: Who is at risk of rebleeding in peptic ulcer bleeding? A new nomogram model uses clinical data + LASSO regression to predict risk with solid accuracy—helping guide timely clinical decisions. https://www.slas-technology.org/article/S2472-6303(25)00090-1/fulltext

One final #SLAS2026 shout out... Thank you to Hamilton, our SLAS2026 Premier Sponsor. We appreciate your ongoing support of the SLAS International Conference and Exhibition and to the life science and lab automation community, as well as to helping us make our Monday Night Parties so memorable.

From SLAS Technology: Implant infections are costly and persistent. This study shows biomimetic Ca-phosphate coatings with Ca-doped ZnO NPs significantly reduce S. aureus biofilms—boosting implant safety and integration. https://www.slas-technology.org/article/S2472-6303(25)00095-0/fulltext

From SLAS Technology -- Can AI spot monkeypox early? This study shows transfer learning-powered ConvNeXt models deliver high accuracy (99.9% binary, 94% multi-class) with lower compute—making real-time detection more practical. https://www.slas-technology.org/article/S2472-6303(25)00094-9/fulltext

This Monday, 2 March, is the final day to save up to €90 across multiple registration categories on #SLASEurope2026 registration rates with the SLAS Member discount. Join us for From cutting-edge lab automation to the latest biotech innovations: https://ow.ly/uygF50Ylihe

Our last #SLAS2026 award announcement is also our newest. Congratulations to Gingko Bioworks for winning the 2nd annual NexusXp People's Choice Award for their Integration Showcase presentation, The Road to Autonomous Labs: Where We Are and What Comes Next. Awards recap: https://ow.ly/nVWA50YkbX4#SLAS2026

To continue with the #SLAS2026 award season announcements, congratulations to SLAS Ignite Award winner, XDemics Corporation. XDemics was chosen for their cell expansion technology, facilitating the scalability of cell production and received $5,000.

Another big award announcement to come out of #SLAS2026 in Boston was the bi-annual New Product Award winners. Congratulations to Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, BioDot and @emulatebio.bsky.social. Learn a bit more about their winning innovations: https://ow.ly/V7UG50YhfW3

Congratulations to the #SLAS2026 Innovation Award winner: Steven Finkbeiner, MD, PhD (Gladstone and the University of California San Francisco) for Development and Application of AI-powered Label-free Imaging for Assays and Screening.

We can't believe the final day of #SLAS2026 is here, but don't worry, we still have a full day of programming left including this morning's Closing Keynote. SLAS Assistant Scientific Director Emily Yamasaki, PhD, gives you a full breakdown of what's coming up today.

Two SLAS Past Presidents. Two Board Directors. One conversation on the future of drug discovery. Join GreinerBioOne at #SLAS2026 NexusXp (Booth 1404). Boston, Feb 9-11! https://events.rdmobile.com/Sessions/Details/3216128

On the latest episode of New Matter, speakers from each of the participating #SLAS2026 NexusXp Integration Showcase sponsors preview their presentations that will take place in the pavilion and compete for the coveted People's Choice Award: https://www.slas.org/education/new-matter-podcast/#SLAS2026

Join Thermo Fisher & Moderna for their #SLAS2026 NexusXp Integration Scenario Showcase, Mon Feb 9 at 3:00 p.m. in the NexusXp Pavilion, focused on real-world integration strategies for moving automation from discovery to regulated clinical environs: https://ow.ly/yWEX50Y893x

We’re officially one week out from the kickoff of #SLAS2026 and the countdown is on. Advance registration rates are available through Friday, February 6, before onsite rates begin on Saturday. A range of registration options are available: https://ow.ly/bZVf50Y7Kg9#SLAS2026

This Monday is the deadline for the final two #SLASEurope2026 award opportunities designed for students and early-career professionals. Learn more about the SLAS Travel and Student Poster Award: https://www.slas.org/events-calendar/slas-europe-2026-conference-and-exhibition/present/#SLASEurope2026

We’re excited to join NexusXp at #SLAS2026 for Designing the Future: Collaborative Innovation in DMTA! Hamilton Robotics is leading the way in creating adaptable, data-driven design ecosystems that accelerate discovery. Feb 10 | 11:00 AM Learn more: www.hamiltoncompany.com/slas-2026#SLAS2026

Startups: It's the last call to apply for a spot on Innovation AveNEW at #SLASEurope2026. Final applications are due Monday for the opportunity to receive a complimentary kiosk and elevated promotional benefits. View full application and benefit details: https://ow.ly/amke50Y0OE8#SLASEurope2026

@ginkgobioworks.bsky.social pioneered the autonomous lab and is building a 97-robot DOE lab for the Genesis Mission. Visit NexusXp to explore self-driving labs, demo AI for closed-loop science, and see a live lab in action at Booth #1823. Book a meeting to learn more. hubs.la/Q03ZV9X90#1823#SLAS2026

We're excited to announce the 11 companies selected to compete for the #SLAS2026 New Product Award. From cutting-edge instrumentation to smart automation platforms, these innovations are set to transform how science is done: https://ow.ly/85WY50XZnVJ#SLAS2026

Precision pain management meets green nanotech. A folic acid–targeted magnetic nanoparticle transdermal system delivered effective, low-toxicity tumor pain relief—pointing toward safer, more personalized supportive cancer care. https://www.slas-technology.org/article/S2472-6303(25)00091-3/fulltext

PRIMDEx bridges the gap between 3D printing and injection molding, enabling faster, more affordable prototyping of microfluidic devices. Built for rapid design-test-build cycles, it removes key manufacturing bottlenecks in biotech R&D. https://ow.ly/jSvz50XXHvg

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. This study shows how hybrid and ensemble machine learning models can integrate clinical and behavioral data to improve early risk prediction—supporting smarter screening and public health interventions. https://ow.ly/goAx50XXHtN

Podcast fans: New Matter is back! The latest episode features bite-sized previews with instructors from four of the #SLAS2026 Short Courses debuting this year in Boston. These snippets may be short on time, but long on programming details. https://www.slas.org/education/new-matter-podcast/

From Oregon State: A new high-throughput imaging platform is changing how we study zebrafish embryo behavior. With full-plate, high-resolution video capture & automated analysis, it removes key tech limits in early drug discovery & toxicology screening. https://ow.ly/1EWv50XXHkV

One of the most talked about areas of our conferences is the Innovation AveNEW for Startups, where companies showcase their drug discovery & lab advances through product demos by the scientists behind the innovations. Learn how to get involved in Vienna: https://ow.ly/wFyH50XWoJh.

In true Rizwan Chaudhrey fashion, he captured another info-packed preview of what’s to come at #SLAS2026. Watch the discussion to find out what attendees and exhibitors can look forward to, from this year’s educational tracks to the exhibition & beyond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnChByq7Bbk#SLAS2026

We're waltzing into 2026 with some key SLAS Europe Vienna deadline reminders. Learn more about how you can contribute your lab automation, drug discovery and screening research this May: https://ow.ly/LrvU50XSXK3

Find out the five finalists who will compete for the #SLAS2026 Student Poster Award: https://ow.ly/eTVZ50XS8Bl#SLAS2026 While award opportunities have passed, it’s not too late to submit an abstract for the opportunity to present in Boston. Submit your research by Jan 19 to be considered.

Volume 37 of SLAS Discovery features the latest discoveries spanning topics such as pixel-wise channel isolation mixing, SARS-CoV-2 polymerase, PD-L1 expression changes in cancer cultures and other areas of drug discovery research: https://www.slas-discovery.org/current

Commit to empowering yourself in the new year by attending the Thrive in Science Women’s Leadership Forum at the conclusion of #SLAS2026, Feb 11-12. Learn practical strategies to strengthen your leadership skills and build meaningful connections: https://ow.ly/PYsu50XQIW2#SLAS2026

New HB-DBi-LSTM model + OCR + NLP boosts diagnostic accuracy from scanned EHRs (F1 ≈ 0.96, acc ≈ 0.93). By converting PDFs to structured data, it speeds sleep disorder detection + info extraction, improving hospital network efficiency + patient care. https://ow.ly/iUR550XP88z

New NICRP framework links diet to colorectal cancer risk using NLP + ATSO-LLMs. By analyzing food data & lifestyle patterns, it predicts CRC with ~98% accuracy and spotlights key nutritional factors for tailored prevention + care in diverse populations. https://ow.ly/fHAx50XP88y

Anaesthesia CareNet uses NLP (NER + GPT-3) + a fine-tuned IGE-LR model to predict pain needs & postop complications with ~91.7% accuracy. It personalizes anaesthesia plans and shows promise across diagnostics, drug discovery & precision medicine. https://ow.ly/RsKT50XP88r

New NLP + LLM framework predicts outcomes & complications in breast cancer reconstruction with ~98% accuracy. It personalizes recovery plans, forecasts risks and boosts patient & clinician decision-making for better quality of life. From June's SLAS Tech: https://ow.ly/CBzM50XP88k.

New AI for athlete heart health: A hybrid ML + RoBERTa NLP system spots arrhythmias & cardiomyopathies from ECGs, records & genetics with 92.5% accuracy. Smarter, earlier diagnoses + personalized treatment = safer sport. https://ow.ly/T5SO50XP88h

The final SLAS Technology volume of 2025 is now available. Volume 35 contains two reviews, two tech briefs, eight research articles, one protocol and excerpts from three Special Issues: https://www.slas-technology.org/current.

Programming note: The SLAS Professional Team will be taking some time to refresh and rejuvenate before 2026 begins. The SLAS HQ will be closed beginning Monday, December 22, and reopen Monday, January 5. Cheers to a safe, happy and healthy new year!

Using NLP on clinical notes & an optimized ML model, researchers can predict personalized ophthalmic anesthesia plans with high accuracy. The approach outperforms traditional methods and points toward safer, smarter, more tailored anesthesia for patients. https://ow.ly/LScv50XHEFI

A new hybrid ML + LLM model using clinical data and physician notes hits ~99% accuracy in identifying sleep-disordered breathing. The approach offers a powerful pre-clinical screening tool for OSA and could strengthen future ENT care. https://ow.ly/4kmQ50XHEBX

Startups: The #SLASEurope2026 Innovation AveNEW program can help you gain visibility with potential customers, collaborators, funders and purchasing decision-makers while in Vienna next May. Apps will be accepted through Monday 26 January. Learn more about the program: https://ow.ly/w7FF50XHEOK

From SLAS Technology: A new study uses .NET tools and IoT sensors to build a student mental-health data system and finds that music therapy can genuinely support high schoolers’ mental well-being. Tech + tunes = a promising path to healthier minds. https://ow.ly/r0O050XHEra

Wondering how your research paper can make our Bluesky feed? Get published in an SLAS Journal! Whether you're researching breakthrough tools, driving translational science or applying automation in novel ways, we're always accepting research. Learn more: https://ow.ly/p94r50XGZa0.

#SLAS2026 Ignite Award finalists have been announced! Congratulations to this year’s finalists: CellarisBio, DropXcell Corp., Evizia Inc., GelTech Labs, MxT Biotech, Synfini, Inc., Vitroscope and XDemics Corporation. Learn more about each company: https://ow.ly/wbSS50XFQ05#SLAS2026

Happy #InternationalVolunteerDay! Huge thanks to our SLAS volunteers whose time, expertise & passion help drive our mission forward. From mentoring to committee work to leading discussions, your contributions make an important impact. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLWc9TiOBMs

We're thrilled to announce our three new Board of Directors who will begin their four-year terms on January 1. Congrats to: Melanie Leveridge (AstraZeneca UK), Brinton Seashore-Ludlow, PhD (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) and Hervé Tiriac, PhD (University of California San Diego, USA).