Thermo Fisher Scientific and NVIDIA partner to scale AI-based laboratory automation
January 13, 2026
Thermo Fisher Scientific and NVIDIA announced a strategic collaboration to bring AI-native automation to laboratories at scale. The goal: increase automation, accuracy, and speed across instruments, infrastructure, and data-so scientists spend less time on manual steps and more time on results.
Why this matters for lab teams
Most labs still rely on manual work for experiment design, instrument setup, sample prep, runs, and interpretation. This partnership aims to modernize those workflows by pairing smarter instruments with AI, connecting labs and data to AI software, and giving scientists assistive tools for designing, executing, and analyzing experiments.
In practice, that means fewer repetitive tasks, tighter QC, and faster cycles from hypothesis to insight. It also means more consistent results across teams and sites.
What's under the hood
Thermo Fisher will combine its expertise in scientific instruments and lab software with NVIDIA's AI infrastructure, including NVIDIA DGX Spark™ (a supercomputer for the desktop) and model stacks such as NVIDIA NeMo™ and NVIDIA BioNeMo™. These components are being used to evolve how instruments interact with scientists-through more intuitive, conversational interfaces and context-aware guidance.
Learn more about the model stacks here: NVIDIA NeMo and NVIDIA BioNeMo.
How it shows up in your day-to-day
- AI-assisted method development and optimization that suggests parameters and flags conflicts before a run.
- Guided sample prep with checklists, real-time validation, and automated QC alerts.
- Run orchestration that schedules jobs across instruments and surfaces instrument health insights.
- On-instrument analysis that auto-annotates outputs and highlights anomalies for review.
- Conversational interfaces that let you query runs, methods, and results without digging through menus.
What leaders said
"Artificial intelligence coupled with laboratory automation will transform how scientific work is performed," said Gianluca Pettiti, Executive Vice President at Thermo Fisher. "By combining Thermo Fisher's leadership in laboratory technologies with NVIDIA's digital and AI solutions, we can help customers work faster, improve accuracy and get more value out of each experiment, ultimately accelerating discoveries that can have significant human impact."
Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare at NVIDIA, added: "We're entering an era of 'lab-in-the-loop' science where AI, agents, and instruments can scale discovery at industrial pace. Together with Thermo Fisher, we're building the core infrastructure for autonomous labs and a research flywheel that speeds life sciences breakthroughs."
What you can do now
- Map your most manual workflows (prep, runs, analysis) and identify where assistive AI would save the most time or improve quality.
- Prioritize instrument connectivity and standardized data formats so analysis pipelines and AI models have reliable inputs.
- Evaluate on-prem GPU needs for method development and inference (e.g., desktop-class systems) and how they fit your data policies.
- Start with one high-throughput workflow for an AI pilot, define success metrics (error rate, turnaround time, yield), and iterate.
- Upskill your team on AI for lab operations and automation. For structured learning paths, see AI courses by job.
The bigger picture
This collaboration strengthens Thermo Fisher's position across instruments, equipment, consumables, and services by bringing AI directly into lab workflows. With an ecosystem of technology partners, the aim is an integrated environment where data, instruments, software, and scientists work together to lift productivity and speed discovery.
Your membership also unlocks:
