Sapio Sciences launches AI-powered electronic lab notebook for biopharma research
Sapio Sciences has introduced what it says is the world’s first third-generation Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) that incorporates agentic artificial intelligence to function as a scientific collaborator. The platform, termed Sapio ELaiN, represents a departure from traditional electronic notebooks by actively participating in research workflows rather than simply documenting experimental procedures.
Agentic AI integration transforms laboratory documentation
The AI Laboratory Notebook (AILN) employs generative and agentic AI technologies to assist scientists with experimental planning, design, and analysis whilst maintaining scientific rigour and regulatory compliance. Unlike conventional ELNs that primarily serve as digital record-keeping systems, Sapio ELaiN is designed to understand experimental context and provide scientific guidance throughout the research process.
Kevin Cramer, CEO & CTO of Sapio Sciences, commented: “Almost one year ago, I predicted that AI would eat the ELN, and with Sapio ELaiN, traditional ELNs are now a thing of the past.”
Cramer explained: “Instead of merely recording and storing data, Sapio ELaiN acts as a new kind of agentic AI scientific collaborator, guiding scientists at every step. It understands context, helps plan and design experiments, and analyses results, always ensuring work is documented, repeatable, and compliant.”
Built-in scientific capabilities address complex research workflows
The platform incorporates several AI-powered analytical tools directly within the notebook environment. These capabilities include molecular docking simulation for compound-target binding studies, ad hoc data analytics for complex dataset visuali-sation, and codon optimisation for genetic sequence expression across different biological systems.
Additional features include small molecule analysis with integrated retrosynthesis planning, toxicity and solubility prediction, and protocol-based experimentation that builds experiments from text descriptions. The company says that new scientific functions will be added continuously based on customer feedback and emerging research techniques.
Scientific fluency across research domains
Sapio ELaiN is positioned as an AI-native platform with scientific competency spanning cheminformatics, bioinformatics, and structure-based design. The system captures all actions with full provenance tracking to ensure experimental decisions remain explainable, repeatable, and compliant with regulatory requirements.
The platform builds upon Sapio Sciences’ existing informatics infrastructure, which includes Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and Scientific Data Cloud services. The company reports that existing customers, including LabConnect, have already begun implementing AI-enabled laboratory environments based on the Sapio platform to replace manual workflows.
The AI Laboratory Notebook approach represents an evolution from first-generation paper notebooks and second-generation digital ELNs that primarily focused on data recording and basic analysis capabilities. Sapio ELaiN is designed to address the complexity and rigid nature of traditional electronic notebooks whilst reducing the operational burden on laboratory scientists.
For more information, visit: http://www.sapiosciences.com/sapio-elain
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