Journal of Automatic Chemistry, Vol. 19, No. 3 (May-June 1997) pp. 61-89 Abstracts of papers presented at the ISLAR (International Symposium on Laboratory Automation and Robotics) 1996 The fourteenth International Symposium on Laboratory Automation and Robotics was held from 20-23 October 1996 in Boston, MA, USA, and proved the largest number of technical presentations ever offered at this meeting. State-of-the art developments in laboratory automation and robotics were reflected in the symposium programme, including papers and posters on all aspects of the technology--drug discovery research, data handling and data management, chemical analysis, custom automation, laboratory workstations, bioanalytical assays, managing laboratory automation, dissolu- tion testing, pharmaceutical analysis, automation and combinatorial chemistry, validating automated methods, and advanced topics. Several new workshops and discussion sessions were also provided. Zymark should be congratulated on their continuing commitment to this programme of seminars and technical sessions. The programme provided a valuable insight to the use of robotics as well as the problems experienced. We hope to include some of these articles as technical papers in the journal in the near future. The 1997 ISLAR will once again be held in Boston, MA, from 19-22 October 1997. Speakers' abstracts should be submitted by 14 March and Poster abstracts by 14 July. Session topics will be similar to previous years but will also include High Throughput Screening, Re-Engineering the Laboratory and Increasing Productivity. For more information, contact Christine O'Neil at 508497 2224; fax on 508435 3439; send an E-mail to
[email protected] or visit the ISLAR pages at http://www.islar.com.