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Drug Discovery & Development winners announced: The 2026 Scientists’ Choice Awards

Recognizing the most impactful technologies and content across the drug discovery and development pipeline, as voted for by scientists worldwide

10 Feb 2026
Cameron Smith-Craig
Cameron Smith-Craig
Pharma and Applied Sciences Editor

Editorial article

The world’s most innovative and effective technologies advancing drug discovery and development have been recognized in the latest release of the 2026 Scientists’ Choice Awards®.

Each year, SelectScience invites its scientist readers and members from around the globe to participate by nominating, reviewing, and voting for the lab products that have had the greatest impact on their work.

Your chosen winners

Best New Drug Discovery & Development Product of 2025

timsMetabo™

The timsMetabo™ from Bruker Daltonics

The award for Best New Drug Discovery & Development Product of 2025 goes to the timsMetabo™ from Bruker Daltonics, as voted for by scientists around the world.

The timsMetabo™ is poised to be the next-generation research engine for 4D-Metabolomics™ and 4D-Lipodomics™, delivering unprecedented sensitivity, separation power, and annotation confidence for small molecules.

The runners up for this category include:

Webinar of the Year

Advancing light scattering assays for AAV products

Advancing light scattering assays for AAV products

This year’s Webinar of the Year is awarded to Dr. Margaret Butko, Director of CMC Assay Development, Adverum, and Dr. Prithwijit Sarkar, Sr. System Account Manager, Waters | Wyatt Technology.

This SelectScience webinar, titled ‘Advancing light scattering assays for AAV products', introduces analytical strategies to characterize the heterogeneity of AAV-based gene therapy products, which contain empty, partial, full, and aggregated capsids.

Dr. Butko and Dr. Sarkar present two key methods, GMP‑compliant dynamic light scattering (DLS) for monitoring capsid aggregation and generating aggregation standards, and FFF‑MALS (field-flow fractionation coupled with multi-angle light scattering) for quantifying capsid aggregate abundance. Alongside SEC‑MALS for measuring both aggregates and full capsids, the session shows how these complementary platforms can enhance AAV product consistency and support more reliable development of gene therapy therapeutics.

Article of the Year

Dr. Hirsh Nanda of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.

Dr. Hirsh Nanda of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.

The winning article is titled 'Addressing cell line development barriers with advanced analytics' and features technology from SCIEX.

This SelectScience article explores key challenges in applying advanced analytics to cell line development, highlighting insights from Dr. Hirsh Nanda of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. He explains that increasing molecular complexity in modern protein therapeutics demands highly sensitive analytical tools to detect subtle structural variations and ensure proper assembly of novel modalities, while the need for rapid, high‑throughput screening puts pressure on workflows to deliver real‑time, robust data using limited sample material. Together, these factors underscore the importance of selecting reliable, sensitive technologies that can keep pace with accelerated development timelines and support informed decision‑making in cell line screening.

Video of the Year

Erik Jerks, Director, Bioanalytical Sciences and Service at Eurofins

Erik Jerks, Director, Bioanalytical Sciences and Service at Eurofins

'Strategies for Bioanalytical Method Development & Validation' has been awarded the Scientists’ Choice Award for Best Drug Discovery and Development Video of the Year, for 2025, honoring its impactful contribution to the bioanalytical community.

In this standout SelectScience interview, Erik Jerks, Director, Bioanalytical Sciences and Service at Eurofins, explores key challenges in developing and validating bioanalytical assays for complex biologics, drawing on three compelling case studies that address bispecific multitarget antibodies and AAV‑based therapeutics. He highlights the growing need for evolving analytical technologies and robust automated instrumentation to tackle these multifaceted workflows, ensuring high‑quality, reliable data for accelerated drug development.

This recognition celebrates not only the clarity and expertise showcased in the video, but also the innovative solutions driving progress across modern bioanalysis.

Email of the Year

SPT Labtech

Futureproof your lab in 2025 with automation

The award‑winning email, 'Futureproof your lab in 2025 with automation,' has been named Email of the Year for 2025 as part of the 2026 Scientists’ Choice Awards, recognizing its clear, compelling message about the changing landscape of lab automation. Highlighting how compact, intuitive systems are empowering even small biotech teams to adopt high‑throughput workflows without added complexity or headcount, the email showcases a new generation of accessible automation designed to maximize ROI from day one.

With expert support built in and real‑world success stories, including how Camena Bioscience is advancing innovation with SPT Labtech’s firefly®, this celebrated communication captures exactly how modern labs can stay agile, scalable, and ready for the future.

Innovative Content of the Year

Innovative content of the year

Mastering the analysis of antibody and oligonucleotide therapeutics

The winning resource, 'Mastering the analysis of antibody and oligonucleotide therapeutics,' was named Innovative Content of the Year. Celebrated for its clear, application‑focused guidance, the piece, created with Shimadzu, explores key analytical challenges such as impurities, structural variability, and stability, and highlights advanced LC/MS, GC/MS, and media‑analysis tools supporting biopharmaceutical development.

Celebrating innovation together

Thank you to our global scientific community for nominating, reviewing, and voting in this year’s Scientists’ Choice Awards. Your engagement continues to drive innovation across drug discovery and development, and we look forward to celebrating even more breakthrough technologies, inspiring content, and impactful scientific achievements in the year ahead.

Want to discover more category winners or nominate future contenders? Explore the full awards program here >>

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Mass SpectrometryMass spectrometry (MS) is a powerful analytical technique used to identify and quantify molecules based on the mass-to-charge ratio of gas-phase ions. It provides detailed information about the structure, composition, and properties of compounds and is widely used across fields such as environmental monitoring, materials science, drug discovery and development, food and beverage testing, and wider chemical research. Key MS techniques include tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LS-MS) and inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS). Choosing from these wide range of techniques and technologies can be a daunting task, so keep up to date with scientific applications, performance expectations, and customer reviews here all in one place. Visit our product directory to receive quotes direct from the manufacturer. LC-MSLC-MS (liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) systems and equipment are used for separation and quantitative analysis of complex mixtures, combining liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Quantify proteins, contaminants, pesticides or screen for drug metabolites with a high level of sensitivity. LC-MS systems and equipment include reverse phase, normal phase and specialized columns integrated with various MS detectors such as time-of-flight (TOF), quadrupole, orbitrap or ion trap mass analyzers. LC-MS/MS instruments equipped with a qTOF or triple quadrupole analyzer give greater sensitivity and resolving power to your analysis. Find the best LC-MS equipment in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Automated Liquid HandlingAutomated liquid handling equipment is used to mix, dilute and dispense allotted volumes of liquid into microplates and other vessels automatically. The robotic, liquid handling arms can dispense from single channel to 3456 multichannel as well as operate nanoliter dispensing, enabling high throughput of samples. Find the best automated liquid handlers in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Cell-Based AssaysCell-based assays are used to monitor the presence, quantity and activities of a desired cellular analyte including drug molecules or biomarkers. This can reveal information on cell health (apoptosis, cytotoxicity, viability and proliferation assays), cell metabolism, cell migration and cell signaling mechanisms. Find the best cell-based assay products, kits and equipment with our peer reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receiving pricing direct from manufacturers.MetabolomicsMetabolomics is the study of small metabolites (the intermediates and products of metabolism). It involves the identification and quantification of cellular metabolites using analytical technologies such as GC, HPLC, NMR, and LC/MS.Single Cell AnalysisSingle-cell analysis involves studying individual cells to gain insights into their behavior, gene expression, and function. This approach is valuable in cancer research, stem cell biology, and immunology. Explore single-cell analysis products in our peer-reviewed product directory; compare products, check reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.Liquid HandlingLiquid handling involves the precise transfer, mixing, and dispensing of liquids in laboratory settings. It is essential for accurate and consistent results in biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical research. Automated liquid handling systems improve efficiency and reduce human error in sample preparation and analysis. Explore liquid handling tools in our peer-reviewed product directory; compare products, read customer reviews, and get pricing directly from manufacturers.SLASThe Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) is an organization focused on laboratory automation, high-throughput screening, and biotechnology innovation. SLAS promotes scientific advancements through conferences, publications, and industry collaborations.

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