Danaher plans to launch an autonomous AI laboratory for antibody discovery at Abcam by early 2027

Danaher plans to launch an autonomous AI laboratory for antibody discovery at Abcam by early 2027

On October 7, 2026, Danaher announced plans to launch an autonomous laboratory at its subsidiary Abcam. The laboratory will use AI, robots and laboratory instruments to discover affinity reagents, molecules that selectively bind to a specified target. Antibodies are one type of affinity reagent.

Danaher describes the facility as its first autonomous AI laboratory. AI will select candidate reagents, while robots and instruments will carry out repeated experiments on them. Developing an affinity reagent involves designing a candidate, producing it and testing whether it binds to the intended target. Danaher aims to connect these steps in an iterative cycle: AI proposes the next candidate, the automated laboratory produces and tests it, and the measurement results are fed back into the model. Results from the previous test then inform the selection of the next candidate.

The company says scientists will retain responsibility for key decisions. Danaher is working with Automata to coordinate instruments and integrate robotics.

Once the facility reaches its planned scale, the company expects to accelerate reagent discovery by up to eight times and increase annual reagent output by up to ten times, from tens to hundreds.