Visitors time traveled into the future of life science research at Wednesday’s Biotech Research Faire.

The annual event returned for its 15th year at WSU and brought together a community of biotech vendors from across the region to display new lab technology in the CUB Junior Ballroom.

Campus researchers and lab students attended throughout the day to gander and awe at the various inventions. A luncheon provided by campus catering and stamp prizes were also included in the event.

“We want to promote new technologies, new products and new instruments that assist in on campus research,” Morgan Nettles, event coordinator and Biotechnology Calendar representative said.

The faire gives an opportunity for companies in the biotech world to be represented among a large consumer group.

Researchers from around the campus were encouraged to attend the event to see advanced technology that they could possibly use in their own lab studies. At the event, researchers and company representatives engaged in conversations about lab projects and ways they could utilize new technology in their own lab studies.

Among the represented companies were, Genewiz, Aurora Biomed and Research Products International Corp.

“There’s a lot of things here that can aid life science research and molecular biology research. Campus researchers get a good glimpse on new things that can help them in the lab,” Peter Chudy, Research Products International Corp. representative said.

The faire featured many products ranging from colorful test tubes to chrome finished robots that purpose in facilitating lab procedures. Among them was Aurora Biomed’s state of the art liquid extraction machine. Many visitors were impressed by the robotic mechanisms of the product, which is used to make lab samples.

“This product focuses on liquid handling and makes sample preparation easier because researchers do not have to take the time to make prep samples manually anymore. It gives more efficiency and time,” Aurora Biomed representative Thomas Lum said.

Besides just campus researchers, many university students also found the faire as an eye-opener to the new vision of laboratory equipment.

“There’s a lot of this stuff that we don’t have in our labs on campus, so the displays are really cool,” microbiology major Matt Turner said.

“It’s really impressive and good for people who are into research,” neuroscience major Joelle Martin said.

The research faire is an effort to bring campus researchers one step closer to evolving the labs of the university into rich technological facilities.