When the first organizing committee designed the first Advanced Lateral Flow Conference over a decade ago, they wanted the ALFC to be more than a series of talks. They pictured a gathering ground for the full ecosystem that makes rapid diagnostics real: scientists, executives, startups, strategics, CROs and CDMOs, the supply chain, investors, funders, regulators, and even the media who were reshaping how this industry communicates.
With 2025’s program, that hasn’t changed. But some things have. The science is sharper. The regulatory environment is tougher. Funding is more competitive. And the way our industry shares its work is shifting. A decade ago, coverage was mostly in the trade press. Today, podcasts, LinkedIn voices, LLMs, and independent influencers often set the tone. That matters because in diagnostics, telling the story is nearly as important as engineering the product. And that’s exactly what ALFC 2025 is built for: a place where more advanced science, tougher questions, and stronger stories come together under one roof.
Real voices from across the value chain
For this year’s program, we’ve spent months curating keynotes, technical sessions, and panels that feature strategic diagnostics executives, CROs/CDMOs, supply chain leaders, and startup founders, alongside funders and regulators. The result is a 360° conversation: what it takes to engineer LFA products, validate claims, raise money, and deliver tests that funders, buyers, and patients trust. These candid discussions are where the industry’s collective knowledge gets shared in an unvarnished, practical, and immediately useful way from the same stage.
The industry’s toughest questions
This year’s agenda is built around the topics you can’t ignore if you’re building, funding, or scaling diagnostics right now:
- Funding and capital access. With capital harder to secure, funders are asking more rigorous questions: What differentiates your assay from molecular? How defensible is your IP? Can you scale manufacturing with supply chain resilience built in? Our sessions feature VC, PE, private foundations, government, and strategics.
- AI and machine learning. Few tools are transforming our sector as quickly as AI. Dr. Jeremy Elser, Head of Science Operations at Palantir, will explore how AI is changing science operations across diagnostics. Dr. Carter Mitchell, CSO of Kemp Proteins, will dive into how machine learning accelerates protein design, an advance that directly shortens assay development timelines and enhances emergency preparedness.
- Multiplexing, quantitative assays, and sensitivity. This is where the science is leaping forward. Posters highlight europium-labeled triplex respiratory assays and plasmonic-fluor NG tests, both demonstrating sensitivity gains approaching molecular performance. Others show reader–software ecosystems that quantitate faint signals with unprecedented accuracy. A particular highlight is Dr. Klaus Hochleitner’s technical lunch session on quantitative tests. You can listen to a preview of his talk here.
- Regulation and evidence. FDA expectations for CLIA-waived and OTC assays are rising. Common pitfalls—claims vs. evidence mismatches, comparator misfits, inclusivity/exclusivity gaps, unclear invalid rules, and stability overreach—are all on the agenda.
Networking that creates connections
The best ideas often spark outside the lecture hall. These are the occasions when partnerships form, deals start, and collaborations are born. That’s why we’ve built structured and unstructured networking into every corner of the event:
- Breakfasts, breaks, and lunches designed for approachable conversation.
- The Exhibitors’ Networking Reception, where suppliers meet developers.
- An unforgettable Opening Reception at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, held inside the aquarium with the Pacific Ocean as backdrop.
- The Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony in the Panterre Gardens at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, with a Greco-Roman theme to celebrate innovation and connection.
- Our event app lets you build a profile, network with attendees, vote in the Innovation Awards, and browse the agenda.
We also take hospitality seriously. ALFC doesn’t serve standard hotel basement fare, and we always select venues with a sense of place. Meals are part of the experience: hot breakfasts, substantial lunches, and generous breaks with fresh, high-quality options (including vegetarian and vegan). You’ll find real food alongside coffee you actually want to drink. This year’s Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines looks out over the Pacific and hosts our meals in its gardens. Our opening night reception takes place at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, surrounded by ocean views and exhibits—an unforgettable setting that captures both the science and the beauty of San Diego’s coast. It’s all designed to give you the breathing room to recharge, connect, and have the kinds of conversations that spark ideas and collaborations.
Awards highlighting impact and innovation
Each year, ALFC honors two individuals whose work has materially advanced rapid diagnostics—one for a career of scientific and operational impact, and one for outsized leadership in the past few years (execution, team building, market creation, or policy influence). These awards spotlight people who move ideas into products that scale and endure. The 2025 honorees will be revealed live at the Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony.
The ALFC Innovation Award has become a touchstone for this industry, recognizing not just assays, but also business models, platforms, and technologies that push rapid testing forward. This year’s finalists represent the ingenuity and diversity of the field, and the live announcement during the Closing Reception is always a highlight. (You can catch up with last year’s ALFC 2025 winner, Adam Melnyk of LFAnt here.)
The exhibit floor: the industry’s marketplace
If the scientific sessions are the brain of ALFC, the exhibit floor is its heartbeat. And this year’s exhibit hall is officially sold out! This is where the companies that make our industry possible—reader developers, diagnostics manufacturers, equipment suppliers, materials innovators, contract service providers—meet the customers who depend on their technologies.
Coffee breaks and the Exhibitor Networking Reception are held directly on the floor, ensuring constant interaction between sponsors and attendees. For sponsors, it’s visibility that matters. For attendees, it’s a chance to discover the best tools, services, and collaborators in the business. And for ALFC itself, it’s the backbone of the event: without our sponsors, this gathering wouldn’t be possible. Thank you for your support!
You can listen to my recent interview with long-time sponsor of the ALFC, Kellie LaRochelle, CEO of Imagene Technology, on what she hopes to get out of this year’s event here.
Why this matters now
The lateral flow and rapid diagnostics community has always thrived at the intersection of science, regulation, and capital flows, but right now, that intersection is the only playing field:
- Capital is scarce. Investors and strategics expect startups to prove differentiation and show credible paths to reimbursement, regulation, and manufacturing earlier than ever.
- Regulatory expectations are higher and more dynamic. FDA reviewers are scrutinizing evidence, usability, and labeling more closely, while shifting timelines and added pressure on agencies make early alignment essential.
- Technology is accelerating. Fluorescent and plasmonic labels, multiplex assays, and instrumented readers are closing the sensitivity gap with molecular tests.
- Digital integration is critical. From AI-driven science ops to custom reader ecosystems, software and data are now as central to diagnostics as antibodies and membranes.
- Communication is changing. Trade press remains relevant, but podcasts, LLMs, and LinkedIn voices increasingly define how products and companies are seen. (Our media sponsor this year, Life Science Marketing Radio, is a testament to that shift).
ALFC 2025 is where these realities come together. Two days of practical science, candid executive discussions, and serious networking. A community that isn’t just reacting to capital cycles or regulatory pressures but actively shaping the future of rapid diagnostics into one that’s more multiplexed, more quantitative, more digital, and more investable.
We also recognize that funding is tight and travel budgets are under pressure. That’s why we’ve created registration options for every budget. Use code ALFC25 for 25% off in-person (while spots remain) or virtual registrations. If you’re a researcher or startup hit hardest by funding gaps, please reach out. We’re committed to making sure you can access the program, with deeper discounts available for virtual attendance.
I hope you’ll join us in La Jolla this October.
-Mitzi
