"I remember the first time I heard of CRISPR—reading the summary of a paper published in Science by Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley and colleagues. It was one of those 'Oh my' moments. I saw the power and potential of the technology for functional genomics, and knew immediately that it was something I needed to be doing," says John Doench, Ph.D., a research scientist in the Broad Institute's RNAi Platform.

RNAi is undergoing a "renaissance," according to the guest editors of the September 2015 JBS Special Issue on Screening by RNAi and Precise Genome Editing Technologies. The proof is in the issue's carefully selected papers, which reveal novel approaches and bioinformatics tools that are reducing the off-target effects and other problems that have caused researchers to question the value of the technology in the past.

"Biosensing is a hot research trend, especially in China where the technology is important to every major aspect of our daily lives," says Xianting Ding, Ph.D., School of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Personalized Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. "Now we see it starting to make a difference in all parts of the world, and in disciplines as diverse as disease diagnosis, environmental monitoring, food engineering and drug discovery."

While not rebounding to 2011 levels, the survey responses obtained from the 2015 North American Survey of Laboratory Purchasing Trends generally point to a bit more optimism, fueled by increased project work across several industry sectors.

Before The Cloud was a regular part of our lexicon, entrepreneurs such as Barry Bunin pioneered secure, collaborative data hosting for scientists.

Yongtao was seeking a full time position after earning his Ph.D. First, he sought coaching on how to compose targeted resumes for applications. Then, he wondered how he should prepare for interviews, so he enrolled in a professional development course and learned about the interviewing continuum where he practiced several in-person and remote interview styles.

His approach might not be for the faint-of-heart, but Armin Nourani doesn't simply wonder what went wrong when he faces a rejection letter. He seeks out answers.

Young careers take flight as students gain valuable experience and exposure to laboratory science and technology professionals at all levels via the annual SLAS Student Poster Competition.

Science has intrigued Jonathan Wingfield, principal scientist, AstraZeneca, UK, since he was a boy, which is why he obtained a Ph.D. in microbiology. But something happened during his post-doc at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, OH, that convinced Wingfield to reconsider his decision to pursue basic academic research, and ultimately led to his being honored as the 2015 SLAS Innovation Award winner.

Is the U.S. biomedical research system broken? If so, what can be done to fix it? Participants in the first-ever SLAS Leadership Forum grappled with these questions in a two-hour discussion held during SLAS2015 in Washington, DC.

Making advancements in a scientific field requires continual learning, extreme curiosity and just plain old hard work. To fuel their interest in the expanding field of biologics in drug discovery, Rob Howes, Ph.D., and Joseph G. McGivern, Ph.D., took on volunteer roles as Journal of Biomolecular Screening (JBS) guest editors for the April 2015 Special Issue on Therapeutic Antibody Discovery and Development.

A wise mentor led her through the beauty products industry. Her graduate studies guided her to a forensic crime lab. A savvy recruiter pointed her to an unlikely role in safety assessment/nonclinical operations. Former SLAS Treasurer Robyn Rourick, M.Sc., shares how viewing her career from others' vantage points helped her find success in analytical chemistry.

The integration of engineering techniques with biological research has led to exciting advances in the development of microengineered living systems with the potential to impact "a wide range of communities in pharmaceutical and toxicology research," according to the guest editors of Microengineered Cell- and Tissue-Based Assays for Drug Screening and Toxicology Applications, a two-part special issue of the Journal of Laboratory Automation (JALA).

Self examination and good detective skills brought SLAS member Bill Neil success. In his tireless trek for career and self-improvement, Neil found resources for everything from improved interoffice communications and laboratory technology conundrums, to health maintenance and balanced living.

SLAS Americas Council Chair Hansjoerg Haas, Ph.D., was thrilled by the opportunity to move abroad. It was 1996 and the new father was offered an incredible position from a company that would eventually become part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. The job would lead him and his wife from their native Germany to Canada. He knew this move was a life changer.

The newest members of the SLAS Board of Directors bring varied backgrounds, strong character and unwavering commitment to sharing what they have learned in their careers to help others succeed. They also believe in a common goal – ensure SLAS continues to lead the way in laboratory science and technology for years to come.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and when paired with a powerful vision for advancing scientific innovation, voilà – stars are born.

The new editor-in-chief for the Journal of Laboratory Automation (JALA) talks about jet fighters, space-age shopping centers, what makes a great scientific paper, and his vision for advancing translational laboratory science and technology as JALA begins its 20th year of publication. Learn more about Ed Chow, including when you can meet him at SLAS2015 in Washington, D.C.