The Trailhead Biosystems team recently returned from SOT 2026 in San Diego, where toxicologists, safety scientists and technology providers from across academia, pharma, biotech and regulatory agencies gathered to explore the future of toxicology. As exhibitors, SOT offered us a front‑row seat to the challenges researchers are facing today, as well as the solutions they are actively seeking.
Across the show floor and in countless conversations, a clear trend emerged: toxicology is moving toward more human-relevant and mechanistic models, alongside a continued need for scalable systems and high-quality starting material.
Here are our takeaways from SOT 2026 and what they mean for the industry and iPSC cells moving forward.
Mechanism‑Driven Science
Many discussions at SOT echoed a broader shift in toxicology: moving beyond observational endpoints toward mechanism‑driven decision‑making. It seems safety teams are under increasing pressure to generate meaningful insight earlier. This ties in to other changes in the space with reducing reliance on animal studies in response to the recent update from the FDA regarding NAMs and improving translational confidence.
We heard researchers typically referencing:
- Human‑relevant disease and safety models
- Reproducible in vitro models suited for multi‑endpoint analysis
- Data that can scale across programs and portfolios
This evolution puts cell biology at the center of toxicological confidence. Without consistent, well‑characterized cellular models, even the most advanced analytical tools will struggle to deliver actionable insights.
New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and Cellular Inputs
NAMs were a recurring topic across sessions and booth conversations, particularly as regulatory agencies continue to encourage their adoption. We did notice a consistent challenge that kept surfacing when we discussed this topic: variability in biological systems remains one of the biggest barriers to broader implementation and confidence with NAMS.
This aligns with what we see across the industry: as toxicology workflows become more sophisticated, the tolerance for biological inconsistency is quickly disappearing.
Scaling Toxicology Requires Standardization (Not Just Throughput)
High‑throughput approaches ere a common topic at SOT. However, many teams are now looking beyond throughput alone, focusing on generating more relevant and reproducible data from their models.
Where We See Trailhead Fitting into the Future of Toxicology
Throughout SOT 2026, we were encouraged by how closely these conversations align with Trailhead’s goal to provide better‑defined human cell models that enable faster, more confident science.
If we had to pick three key areas to summarize our overlap, SOT reinforced:
- iPSC‑derived models for developmental or organ‑specific toxicity
- Reducing variability in long‑term or repeat‑dose studies
- Developing (or starting) NAMs-focused workflows that meet regulatory requirements
In short, high‑quality, reproducible cell biology is pivotal to the future of toxicology. And we believe our approach that is grounded in controlled differentiation, rigorous characterization and lot‑to‑lot consistency, is well designed to support this.
If you would like to reach out to us, you can utilize any of the following methods:
- Reach out via our general contact form
- Talk to your local scientific sales representative
- Learn More About New Application Methods (NAMs)
- Apply for the Trailblazers of NAMs Grant Program