Life sciences firm Danaher to launch AI-powered autonomous research lab in 2027

Oct 7 : Life sciences company Danaher said on Wednesday it plans to launch its first AI-powered autonomous research lab early next year to make drug discovery and development faster and more efficient.

Here are more details:

• The lab, projected to operate at scale in early 2027, will combine AI, robotics and technologies from several Danaher operating companies in one connected workflow to develop custom antibodies and other molecular tools

• It is expected to make discovering molecules eight times faster and unlock a tenfold increase in generating target-binding molecules annually

• "That frees them (scientists) to focus on the complex scientific challenges where human insight matters most," said JC Gutierrez-Ramos, chief science officer of Danaher

• The lab uses AI to help create new molecules that can bind specifically to a biological target, including antibodies, then builds and tests each one, feeding every result back into the model to improve the next design

• The lab is an example of a broader program across Danaher, intended to create a fleet of smart instruments, the company said