SLAS Member Demographics

From the SLAS database (reflects members and e-members in all categories):

• 69% are from the U.S. and Canada / 31% are from throughout the rest of the world
• 47% have doctorate degrees / 17% have master degrees / 22% have bachelor degrees
• Top three fields/areas of interest identified include liquid handling (30%), pharmacogenomics (22%) and information technology for the laboratory (11%).
• Top two work sectors identified include drug development (44%) and technology provider or integrator (39%).
• Top five job titles identified include scientist/engineer/researcher (31%), manager/dept. head (9%), president/ceo (8%), administrative (8%) and vice president (5%).

From a 2010 survey of Journal of Biomolecular Screening (JBS) readers:

• What areas of drug discovery are you currently working in or interested in? = 48% target validation; 41% stem cell biology and stem cells as model systems; 32% pharmacodynamics biomarker assays; 30% RNA interference; and 30% epigenetics.
• Top four job titles include scientist (41%), lab director/department manager (34%), president/ceo/vp/cfo/cio (10%) and marketing (7%).

From a 2010 survey of Journal of Laboratory Automation (JALA) readers:

• 30% have MA/MS / 29% have BA/BS / 25% have PhD / 10% have PhD and MD
• When asked to describe "the nature of their organization," 28% said biotechnology; 24% said pharmaceutical and 12% said academic institution.
• Areas of responsibility reported =

  66% automation technology
  50% research and development
  33% high-throughput
  29% engineering
  27% laboratory management
  21% applications
  20% analytical chemistry
  18% biochemistry
  15% software/informatics
  13% informatics IT
  13% discovery
  11% corporate management
  

Purchasing Priorities

SLAS members and e-members make significant annual investments in technology (particularly automated systems, robotics, instrumentation, hardware, software and labware) that support automated research initiatives in their laboratories. For examples, see the exhibitor directory at The SLAS Market Place.

Purchasing Power

According to research conducted in 2010 for the Journal of Biomolecular Screening (JBS):

• What is your most usual involvement in your organization's purchasing decisions? = 45% approval/authorize purchases; 42% recommend/specify brands/suppliers; and 10% are involved in some other way.
• In the next 12 months, which of the following does your organization plan to do? = 53% purchase equipment; 41% recommend equipment purchases; 61% review possible new equipment.

According to research conducted in 2010 for the Journal of Laboratory Automation (JALA):

• 63% report "taking action" (multiple answers) as a result of seeing ads in JALA.
• For which of the following products/services do you have any level of purchasing involvement (eg. approve, recommend, select or any other involvement) for your organization? =

  63% robotics
  50% pipettors
  41% reagents/consumables (including plates, tips, vials, filters,etc.)
  38% workstation accessories; 34% microplate dispensers
  33% laboratory workstations
  30% microplate washers
  29% motors/pumps
  28% LIMS software
  27% spectroscopy instrumentation
  23% microplate processors
  22% cooling instrumentation
  22% luminescence instrumentation
  20% stirring systems
  18% ultrasonic instrumentation
  17% heating instrumentation
  15% compound libraries
  15% laser instrumentation
  12% microimaging instrumentation
  11% evaporation instrumentation

• Approximately what is your laboratory's/department's research budget for its current fiscal year? =

  22% $2.5 million or more
  7% $1-2.49 million
  7% $750,000 to $999,999
  1% $500,000 to $749,999
  5% $250,000 to $499,999
  1% $100,000 to $249,999
  7% less than $100,000
  4% None
  39% Don't know