TechnologyTuesday, November 3, 20261 min read

Building connections across the research infrastructure

By Engineering Blogs · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The two-day gathering centered on the open-source NanoFab Equipment Management and Operations software, originally released by NIST in 2018 and expanded via a community edition in 2023. Delegates from major institutions such as Stanford, Columbia, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory shared adaptations covering workflow automation and chemical tracking. Additionally, MIT.nano introduced Hydra, a new open-source platform created to help institutions share and navigate distributed, evolving resources.

Key points

Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user…: Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user training, and real-time equipment tracking.
The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for l…: The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for lab management and workflow automation.
Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories…: Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories to better connect specialized microelectronics infrastructure.

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Running a modern research laboratory requires more than maintaining sophisticated instruments. Researchers need to complete training, obtain access, schedule and operate equipment, navigate billing, and more. For large, shared facilities, coordinating these activities across hundreds of instruments and thousands of users can be a significant undertaking. As research becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, another challenge is emerging: finding the right capability in the first place.

Addressing these challenges was a central theme of the 2026 NEMO User Meeting, hosted by MIT.nano Oct. 5–6. The meeting brought together 65 representatives from 25 laboratories and organizations, including facility directors, laboratory managers, technical staff, software developers, industry representatives, and government researchers. Sponsored by the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) hub, the meeting focused on sharing approaches to lab management and building connections among facilities.

At the center of the meeting was the NanoFab Equipment Management and Operations (NEMO) system, an open-source platform that provides tools for managing shared research facilities while allowing individual laboratories to adapt the system to their own needs. The meeting highlighted an important characteristic of the NEMO community: The same platform can…

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Key Points

Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user…: Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user training, and real-time equipment tracking.
The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for l…: The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for lab management and workflow automation.
Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories…: Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories to better connect specialized microelectronics infrastructure.

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In short

Key Points

Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user…: Shared research laboratories face ongoing operational challenges involving billing, user training, and real-time equipment tracking.
The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for l…: The open-source NEMO community edition allows institutions to exchange custom tools for lab management and workflow automation.
Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories…: Facilities are actively seeking dynamic alternatives to static, outdated web directories to better connect specialized microelectronics infrastructure.

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Building connections across the research infrastructure

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