Abstract
Welcome to LabAutomation '98
Welcome to the LabAutomation'98 conference issue of Laboratory Automation News. Following this issue of Laboratory Automation News, we begin our new publication entitled Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation.
Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation will be the official publication that will represent the scientific, commercial production, research and development efforts of the members of the Association for Laboratory Automation. Our transformation into a scientific journal and news source reflects the outstanding growth in the number of papers that have been submitted to the journal covering the latest scientific developments in the field. In addition, many of the papers presented at the LabAutomation conference, and other ALA conferences around the world, will appear in Journal of the Association for Laboratory Automation giving the members of the ALA an international perspective on the growing field of laboratory robotics.
The Association for Laboratory Automation has been busy organizing and sponsoring meetings throughout the world. The original conference in San Diego, LabAutomation, remains the world's premier international gathering of all the disciplines associated with laboratory automation technologies. The Cherry Blossom Symposium to be held on March 29th-April 1st, 1998 (organized by Masahide Sasaki, M.D.) is co-sponsored by the ALA and is focused on clinical laboratory automation. In the November issue of LAN we announced the first meeting of EuroLabAutomation in Oxford on September 26–29, at Oxford, England. This meeting will gather experts on automation issues facing laboratories from all over Europe. The ALA will also collaborate with the following Congresses:
Automation and New Technologies (ANT), Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on May 24–27, 1998.
Microplate Technology (MipTec'98), Basel, Switzerland, June 15–18, 1998.
WorldLab (17th International and 13th European Congress of Clinical Chemistry, 1st International Congress of Clinical Molecular Biology, and the 31st National Congress of the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology), Florence, Italy, June 6–11, 1999.
LabAutomation'98 has exceeded our most optimistic predictions. 96 presentations will be made from the podium accompanied by 60 well crafted posters. Over 100 exhibitor booths will provide a look at the latest technology in the field. Furthermore, the conference is expected to be attended by the majority of the members of the ALA (over 1000) and others who are seeking to be part of this exciting era in laboratory science. We urge you to participate in all the events at LabAutomation since attending the social events is as important for networking as attendance at the scientific sessions.
We offer our sincerest welcome to your participation in LabAutomation, ALA sponsored events in 1998, the web site (labautomation.org) and participation in our journal.