Sankara Nethralaya’s SNSC Clinical Laboratory, Medical Research Foundation, Chennai, organised LAB NXT 2026, themed “Shaping the Future of Diagnostics,” on August 29, 2026, at V.D. Swami Auditorium, KN BIRVO Block, Nungambakkam, Chennai. The scientific symposium and workshop brought together laboratory technologists, postgraduate students, quality and technical managers, and laboratory consultants.

The programme began with two parallel workshops on method validation, verification, equipment installation and quality control, and clinical microbiology, covering fungal identification, autoantibody detection and PCR-based pathogen detection.

The scientific sessions addressed risk assessment and management in clinical laboratories, clinical laboratory practice, innovations in laboratory medicine, MALDI-TOF in infectious disease diagnostics, and point-of-care testing in clinical microbiology. Afternoon sessions covered genetic testing for inherited diseases, total laboratory automation, translating laboratory diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism into clinical care, and molecular diagnostics for muscular dystrophies.

The sessions were led by experts from Foundation for Quality India, Dr. Mehta’s Multispeciality Hospital, Regenix Super Speciality Laboratory, Rela Hospital, Christian Medical College, Vellore, MedGenome Labs, Apollo Central Reference Laboratory, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, and the Molecular Diagnostics Counselling Care and Research Centre.

Dr. N. Angayarkanni, Director, SNSC Clinical Laboratory, delivered the welcome address. The programme concluded with a valedictory address by Dr. Girish Shiva Rao, President and Executive Medical Director, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, followed by a felicitation ceremony and vote of thanks. The event also featured a poster competition.

LAB NXT 2026 provided a platform for laboratory professionals to exchange knowledge and discuss developments in diagnostic technologies, laboratory quality management and clinical laboratory practices.