SLAS 2026 draws record crowds and spotlights lab innovation

Boston was buzzing as SLAS hosted its 2026 International Conference and Exhibition from 7-11 February, drawing more than 7,600 attendees from 47 countries and 419 exhibitors showcasing the latest in laboratory automation, AI tools, and life sciences solutions. “European attendance remained strong, and the energy on the floor was incredible,” said SLAS CEO Vicki Loise. “Visitors were actively exploring solutions for research workflows and advanced automation.”

The conference highlighted the cutting edge of lab technology with its annual New Product Awards. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, in collaboration with HSE-AG, won for the eviDense UV Photometer, which streamlines nucleic acid quantification by integrating directly onto the Biomek i-Series automated workstation deck. BioDot’s Nanolab™ impressed with its ultra-low-volume precision for advanced genomics workflows, while Emulate’s AVA™ Emulation System brought scalable, automation-ready Organ-Chip biology into the spotlight.

Startups were also in the limelight. XDemics Corporation took home the Ignite Award for its High Density Cell Respiration™ technology, designed to create ideal conditions for scalable, high-density cell growth, bridging research and industrial applications. Early-career scientists were recognised too, with Student Poster Awards going to Christian Reinhardt (University of Michigan) for a low-cost, scalable pH assay, Renate Roeterink (University of Melbourne) for a device studying mechanosensitive GPCR signalling, and Yining Wang (NIH) for a high-throughput neurotoxicity assay using neural spheroids.

SLAS’s top accolade, the $10,000 Innovation Award, went to Steven Finkbeiner of Gladstone and UCSF for his AI-powered, label-free imaging platform, which combines artificial intelligence, vision, and automation to advance cellular analysis and screening across multiple fields, including neurodegenerative disease research.

With record-breaking attendance and a showcase of next-generation tools, startups, and cutting-edge research, SLAS 2026 confirmed its status as North America’s premier gathering for laboratory innovation.

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