Danaher Accelerates Life Sciences Research with New AI-powered Autonomous Lab

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Danaher Accelerates Life Sciences Research with New AI-powered Autonomous Lab

PR Newswire

Helping researchers to move from discovery to breakthrough up to 8x faster by combining AI, automation and innovation from across Danaher's ecosystem of industry-leading technologies

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) today announced plans to launch its first AI-powered autonomous lab, designed to help researchers develop custom antibodies and other molecular tools faster and more efficiently. Expected to operate at scale in early 2027, the lab will combine artificial intelligence, robotics and technologies from several Danaher operating companies in one connected workflow. It is the first step in a broader Danaher initiative to create smart instruments, integrated workflows and autonomous labs that accelerate scientific research.

Danaher's first AI-powered autonomous lab is designed to deliver:

  • Speed: Up to 8x faster discovery of affinity reagents, helping researchers get from idea to breakthrough sooner
  • Scale: Unlocking up to a tenfold increase in annual reagent generation, from tens to hundreds of reagents per year as the lab scales
  • Quality: Each design built in the lab would also be verified, tested and fed back to improve the next, without trading speed for scientific rigor
  • Sustainability: Over time, this approach is expected to complement traditional immunization-based methods used in the discovery of antibodies and other research tools

"The autonomous lab reflects the kind of progress Danaher is uniquely positioned to deliver," said Julie Sawyer Montgomery, President and Chief Executive Officer of Danaher. "By applying our science, technology and culture of continuous improvement, we can help turn promising ideas into validated systems faster. It is an important step toward a future where AI, automation and intelligent systems dramatically accelerate the journey from discovery to impact."

Based at Abcam, a Danaher company, the lab uses AI to help create new affinity reagents, including antibodies, then builds and tests each one, feeding every result back into the model to improve the next design. The lab brings together industry-leading technologies and expertise from several Danaher operating companies, including Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, Cytiva, Genedata, Integrated DNA Technologies, and Molecular Devices, in one connected workflow. The device orchestration and robotic automation is the result of collaborative work with Automata*. This continuous design-make-test-learn loop can run in a fraction of the time it takes today, without trading speed for scientific rigor. This approach applies the same test-and-verify discipline of continuous improvement long used across Danaher operations to an AI-enabled laboratory environment. The lab is set to be an early proof point for how Danaher's smart instruments, AI-ready data, and expert agentic systems can accelerate scientific discovery and medical progress.

"This lab represents a new model for scientific discovery, where AI, automation and human expertise work together in a continuous learning cycle," said JC Gutierrez-Ramos, Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer of Danaher. "Speed is what supercharges that cycle. Every result sharpens the next design, so the faster each loop runs, the faster discovery compounds. The lab is designed to deliver up to eight times faster progress from idea to validated reagent and up to a tenfold increase in reagent generation, while scientists continue to make the key decisions. That frees them to focus on the complex scientific challenges where human insight matters most."

The lab is an example of a broader program across Danaher intended to create a fleet of smart instruments that are easier to integrate and control programmatically, produce AI-ready data, and include expert-level agentic systems designed to simplify operation, improve data quality and generate deeper insights. These intelligent devices can then be connected to create integrated workflows and autonomous labs that execute design-make-test-learn cycles. The approach also supports a shift toward more predictive and standardized research workflows, with models helping prioritize the most promising designs before they are made and robotics supporting more consistent experimentation.

The platform reflects an important milestone in the Company's continued investment in connected science at a global scale: technologies designed to help researchers move from scientific question to validated answer with greater speed, consistency and confidence.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND OTHER INFORMATION
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding the Company's AI-powered autonomous lab, the anticipated timing, performance, capabilities and benefits of the platform, the development and deployment of smart instruments, integrated workflows and autonomous labs, and the expected impact of these technologies on biomedical research and scientific discovery, and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things: the impact of the tariffs and related actions implemented by the U.S. and other countries, the impact of our debt obligations (including debt we have incurred to finance the acquisition of Masimo Corporation) on our operations and liquidity, deterioration of or instability in the global economy, the markets we serve and the financial markets, uncertainties with respect to the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence in our business and products, the impact of global health crises, uncertainties relating to national laws or policies, including laws or policies to protect or promote domestic interests and/or address foreign competition, our ability to successfully identify and consummate appropriate acquisitions and strategic investments, our ability to integrate the businesses we acquire and achieve the anticipated growth, synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions, contingent liabilities and other risks relating to acquisitions, investments, strategic relationships and divestitures (in each case, including with respect to our acquisition of Masimo), including tax-related and other contingent liabilities relating to past and future IPOs, split-offs or spin-offs, contractions or growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies and expand into new markets, the potential for improper conduct by our employees, agents or business partners, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including rules relating to off-label marketing and other regulations relating to medical devices and the health care industry), the results of our clinical trials and perceptions thereof, our ability to effectively address cost reductions and other changes in the health care industry, security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems or violations of data privacy laws, risks relating to potential impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, currency exchange rates, tax audits and changes in our tax rate and income tax liabilities, changes in tax laws applicable to multinational companies, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property and environmental, health and safety matters, the rights of the United States government with respect to our production capacity in times of national emergency or with respect to intellectual property/production capacity developed using government funding, risks relating to product, service or software defects, product liability and recalls, risks relating to our manufacturing operations, the impact of climate change, legal or regulatory measures to address climate change and other sustainability topics and our ability to address regulatory requirements or stakeholder expectations relating to climate change and other sustainability topics, risks relating to fluctuations in the cost and availability of the supplies we use (including commodities) and labor we need for our operations, our relationships with and the performance of our channel partners, uncertainties relating to collaboration arrangements with third-parties, the impact of deregulation on demand for our products and services, labor matters and our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees, U.S. and non-U.S. economic, political, geopolitical, legal, compliance, social and business factors (including the impact of elections, regulatory and policy changes or uncertainty, government shutdowns and military conflicts such as the conflict in the Middle East), disruptions and other impacts relating to man-made and natural disasters, inflation and the impact of our By-law exclusive forum provisions. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2026. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.

ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a leading global life sciences and diagnostics innovator, committed to advancing the power of science and technology to improve human health. Through our connected ecosystem of industry-leading businesses, we work side by side with customers to solve many of their most complex scientific and clinical challenges—accelerating the moment scientific discovery becomes human impact. Powered by the Danaher Business System, our advanced science and technology and proven ability to innovate help enable faster, more accurate diagnoses and reduce the time, cost, and risk required to discover, develop, and deliver life-changing therapies. Through continuous improvement and operational excellence, our approximately 60,000 associates worldwide are focused on delivering lasting impact and improving quality of life around the world, while building a healthier, more sustainable tomorrow. That's Innovation at the speed of life. Explore more at www.danaher.com.

*Automata received an investment from DHR in Jan 2026

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SOURCE Danaher Corporation