The SLAS 2025 International Conference and Exhibition brought together scientists, innovators, and technology leaders to explore the latest advancements in lab automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and lab informatics. This year’s event underscored a critical shift in the industry: technology is no longer just supporting research—it is fundamentally reshaping it.
A well-balanced agenda
One of the most appreciated aspects of SLAS 2025 was the thoughtful scheduling that allowed attendees to immerse themselves in insightful talks without missing out on vendor interactions. Scientists didn’t have to choose between engaging discussion and discovering the latest tools—they could do both.
Key trends shaping the future of R&D
Several dominant themes emerged from the conference, highlighting how the latest technology will impact the way scientists conduct research:
- Lab innovation – New tools are making it easier to collect, manage, and analyze data, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and increasing time for actual discovery.
- Opportunities for AI – AI is starting to assist with complex data analysis, helping scientists uncover insights faster. While many solutions still require extensive human curation for AI analysis, platforms like Sapio Sciences’ are simplifying data curation through natural language.
- Automation advantages – The push toward automation is gaining momentum as labs recognize its potential to help reduce manual errors, speed up experiments, and ensure data is always organized and accessible.
A key observation was the increasing collaboration between hardware and software vendors. This leads to better integrated tools that allow instruments to communicate seamlessly with data platforms, enabling scientists to access, analyze, and act on data faster than ever.
The reality of AI in scientific research
AI was a hot topic at the conference, but its real-world implementation still lags behind the discussion. While many vendors presented AI driven solutions, most still rely on human input to organize and prepare data for machine learning. Sapio Sciences is leading the way with true AI capabilities, enabling researchers to interact with data using simple commands. Visitors to our booth were intrigued by our AI powered assistant, ELaiN, which streamlines data access, interpretation, and decision making, offering a real-world application of AI powered laboratory informatics.
One exception to AI’s dependency on human curation? Automated documentation. Instead of spending hours manually recording experiments, researchers can already use AI to generate detailed experimental records, ensuring compliance and accuracy with minimal effort. As the industry evolves, scientists are asking: What else can AI do to make research easier? At Sapio Sciences, we are actively exploring new ways AI can remove tedious tasks from scientists’ workloads.
Bridging the gap in laboratory informatics
Electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS) are essential tools for many scientists. However, in many labs there are still gray areas that straddle these tools. Sapio’s unified platform eliminates these gaps with a fully integrated suite of applications that includes, for example, a comprehensive sample manager, supporting researchers from early discovery through downstream development. This end-to-end approach ensures that scientists can seamlessly track and manage their experiments and workflows across the entire research lifecycle, improving efficiency and maintaining data integrity.
What AI and automation mean for scientific research
SLAS 2025 reinforced the notion that AI and automation are not just futuristic ideas. They are here to improve the way scientists work now and are transforming R&D. The benefits for the biopharma industry are profound:
- Shorter R&D timelines – AI driven insights and automation will reduce the traditional >10-year drug development cycle to as little as 2–4 years.
- Increased efficiency – By automating tedious documentation and data analysis, researchers can focus on high-value scientific work.
- Better data integrity – AI powered systems reduce human error and improve reproducibility, which is critical for regulatory compliance.
- Cost reduction – AI tools enable faster decision making; e.g., helping to identify promising drug candidates sooner, reducing costly late-stage failures.
What are scientists looking for?
At our booth, we spoke with researchers who are looking for solutions to simplify their work. Their key priorities included:
- Finding better ways to organize and access data without spending hours on documentation.
- Exploring AI tools that will accelerate analysis and decision making to optimize research outcomes.
- Moving beyond outdated systems and adopting digital solutions that enhance efficiency.
Looking ahead
SLAS 2025 confirmed that scientists are ready for AI driven, seamlessly integrated, and highly adaptable solutions. At Sapio Sciences, we are committed to making research more efficient, accessible, and impactful by providing tools that reduce complexity and free up time for what really matters—scientific discovery.
Missed us at SLAS? Want to talk about our ELN, LIMS, and AI solutions? Get in touch with us on our contact us page.
