Abstract
Thanks to an energetic scientific committee led by Adam Woolley of Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, UT; plans are already well under way for LabAutomation2011 (January 29 to February 2 in Palm Springs, CA). Among many other highlights, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Chad A. Mirkin as one of our plenary speakers. Dr. Mirkin is the Director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He is also a member of President Obama's Council of Advisors for Science and Technology and serves as a scientific advisor to JALA.
Professor Mirkin is a chemist and a world-renowned nanoscience expert who is known for his development of nanoparticle-based biodetection schemes, the invention of dip pen nanolithog-raphy, and contributions to supramolecular chemistry, nanoelectronics, and nanooptics. He is the author of more than 400 manuscripts, more than 360 patents and applications, and the founder of three companies Nanosphere, Nano-Ink, and Aurasense, which are commercializing nanotechnology applications in the life science and semiconductor industries. Currently, he is listed as the most cited (based on total citations) chemist in the world with the second highest impact factor and the top most cited nanomedicine researcher in the world.
In addition to a powerful plenary lineup, we also look forward to once again presenting the top 100 podium presentations from the field of laboratory automation. For five years in a row, our abstract submissions have increased, enabling us to showcase the absolute best of the best. Poster submissions also continue to increase along with the number of applicants for the Tony B. Academic Travel Awards (named in honor of ALA cofounder, the late Tony Beugelsdijk).
Organizing the ALA conference and exhibition is a yearlong process that starts during the previous year's conference. This momentum energizes the board members, scientific committee members, volunteers, and staff who work hard behind the scenes coordinating a first-class educational and professional gathering. As hard as they may work, the key to much of the event's success lie beyond their reach—it is in the hands of the international laboratory automation community. As the positive response to LabAutomation's calls for podium and poster presentations continues, the 2011 conference will exceed expectations for breadth, depth, diversity, and excellence. Likewise, the active participation of attendees during the conference further increases the value of the experience for everyone, speakers, attendees, and exhibitors.
In addition to LabAutomation's many educational sessions, it would be remiss for me not to mention that our exhibit floor will once again be filled to capacity. This is not something to take for granted. It is a testament to the interest and importance placed on exploring new technology by attendees and for the small and large exhibitors to show new and groundbreaking technologies.
ALA is now accepting abstract proposals for LabAutomation2011 podium and poster presentations in five key education tracks: detection and separation, high-throughput technologies, informatics, micro-and nanotechnologies, and evolving applications of laboratory automation featuring agriculture and food. One podium presenter will win the $10,000 prize as the 2011 ALA Innovation Award winner, and up to 10 finalists will travel to Mumbai, India to present their work at the 25th edition of the Chemtech World Expo, February 23–25, 2011. You could be one of these lucky LabAutomation 2011 presenters; visit www.labautomation.org today for more information.
Sincerely,
