Editorial Article: SLAS Europe 2019: the new technologies changing the future of drug discovery

The SLAS Europe conference and exhibition, now in its second year, proved a hit for scientists working in life sciences and drug discovery, with an array of innovative technologies and methods for laboratory automation and screening displayed and discussed. The Barcelona meeting presented the latest offering in automation and high-throughput screening (HTS) to streamline the workflows of the discovery industry.

Here, we look at some of the key technologies and research highlighted during the conference, plus we hear from SLAS CEO, Vicki Loise on the success of this year’s meeting.

Scientists discuss latest technologies and techniques advancing discovery workflows

Protein:protein interactions: automation assisted development of an HTS assay at Merck Healthcare KGaA

Dr. Nina Grossman, Merck Healthcare KGaA, describes the development of a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay for the detection of protein:protein interactions on the dragonfly^® discovery liquid dispenser from TTP Labtech. Hear how the dispenser provides a fast, precise, reproducible solution for liquid handling. Watch the presentation>>

Plus watch the interview with Dr. Anne Hammerstein, product manager for dragonfly^® discovery at TTP Labtech, to learn more about the latest developments in the liquid handler

 

Live-cell analysis: meeting the needs of high-throughput screening

Dr. Jens Peter von Kries, Head of the Screening Unit, Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), discusses trends in the high-throughput experiments he works on for academic projects from around the world, and how the Tecan Spark^® Cyto plate reader will help meet the needs of the most demanding long-term live-cell assays. Watch the interview>>

 

Assay development at Servier: integrated plate readers streamline assay optimization and fast kinetic assay monitoring

Dr. Céline Legros, project manager for screening assay development at Servier, outlines the BMG Labtech microplate reader technology, including the PHERAstar^® FSX, incorporated into her lab's day-to-day automation and screening platforms, including its use in three different assay applications: HTRF miniaturization, quench assay miniaturization, and fast kinetics assay monitoring. Watch the presentation>>

Angiogenesis research: high-content imaging systems help unlock the full potential of 3D tissue models

Dr. Bas Trietsch, CTO, MIMETAS, introduces a new solution for the study of angiogenesis; the OrganoPlate^® Graft, an in vitro cell culture microplate platform that allows vascularization of 3D tissues. Hear how Molecular Devices’ ImageXpress^® Micro Confocal High-Content Imaging System plays a vital role in the development and analysis of these 3D tissue models. Watch the interview>>

Launched at SLAS Europe 2019

New automated incubators: streamline microplate cell culture with Thermo Fisher Scientific’s latest incubators

Hear how the features of the new Thermo Scientific™ Cytomat 2 C-LiN Series Automated Incubator can enhance your cell culture workflow to support the growth and maintenance of stem, primary, immortalized and organoid cell lines. Watch the interview to learn more>>

 

 

Introducing the Tecan Spark^® Cyto: discover new possibilities for call-based assays

Another new technology launched during the conference was the Tecan Spark^® Cyto multi-mode plate reader with fluorescence imaging and real-time cytometry capabilities. Hear how the system can save you time and samples and standardize procedures for long-term live-cell kinetic experiments to help you gain a better understanding of the complex processes within cell biology. Watch the interview to learn more>>

 

What to look out for from SLAS

SLAS CEO, Vicki Loise, reflects on the success of the society’s 2019 European event

Vicki Loise shares highlights from SLAS Europe 2019, the Society for Laboratory Automation’s (SLAS) conference for the European life sciences discovery and technology community,  including interactive sessions and networking opportunities, as well as the newly launched SLAS CONNECTED, an online networking community for scientists. Watch the interview>>

 

Focusing on artificial intelligence: innovating the analysis of complex phenotypic data

Oren Kraus, Co-Founder of Phenomic AI, and speaker at the upcoming 2019 SLAS AI in Process Automation symposium, discusses the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning in the analysis of the complex data gained from phenotypic screening. Watch the interview>>

 

 

Discover more from the conference on our dedicated SLAS Europe 2019 special feature page.