Special Initiatives

SLAS has collaborated with several leading scientific organizations to bring you new relevant sessions and informational briefings at SBS2011.

Sunday, March 27
BioAssay Ontology: Development of an Industry Standard for the Description and Categorization of Small Molecule High-Throughput Screening Data
1 - 4 pm

Presenters: Stephan Schürer, University of Miami;
Vance Lemmon, University of Miami

Large and diverse data sets that are generated in high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns in industry, non-profit, and academic organizations are presently difficult to explore. We have begun to develop a bioassay ontology and software tools to formalize the knowledge in HTS data sets in order to facilitate their analysis and integration with other databases. This interactive program presents the progress that has been made to date, demonstrate software that we have developed and seek feedback from the community. Individuals interested in assay standards, analysis and integration of HTS results should participate. This project is supported by a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Monday, March 28
Analytical and Life Science Systems Association (ALSSA)
7 - 9 am

This exclusive invitation-only briefing assesses several recent developments and trends in laboratory automation technologies and applications and the strategic implications for users and suppliers. Featured speakers include senior level executives from customers and users from both the pharma and food processing industries.

Tuesday, March 29
Making the Most of Your HTS: Versatility in Hardware and Cell-Ware
2 - 5:30 pm

Location: Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona

This satellite symposium features end-user presentations and informal networking with drug discovery experts at the NIH — MLPCN comprehensive screening center located in Orlando's new "Medical City". Academic and industry researchers will highlight novel applications of HTS technologies that provide greater flexibility in screening modalities and extract more biological information from a common assay platform. Presentations on the versatility of DiscoveRx and HighRes Biosolutions products will be followed by tours of the ultra-high throughput screening facility at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute at Lake Nona. A reception with light refreshments and Florida cuisine is included. Transportation between the SBS conference and Sanford-Burnham will be provided for registered attendees. The symposium is complimentary and registration is required. For information, please go to http://www.discoverx.com/register_SLAS_SBS2011.php.

Sponsored by: DiscoveRx and HighRes Biosolutions