DaiSyBioNets Retreat 2026

Our group and the Bionets lab of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg have come together at TUM's Science & Study Center Raitenhaslach for a scientific retreat focused on exchanging ideas, strengthening collaborations, and learning more about each other’s research.

We kicked off the retreat with a brief introduction session, followed by an engaging poster session where everyone had the opportunity to present their work and discuss their research with colleagues. 

The second day of the retreat was all about exchanging perspectives and generating new ideas through a series of World Café discussions. Participants split into groups and moved between four tables, each one focused on a different topic. One table explored how we can engage broader audiences through events such as the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaft and the TUM Open Campus Day. Another focused on entrepreneurship, discussing how scientific research can lead to startup ideas and entrepreneurial ventures. The two scientific tables tackled exciting research topics, including the regulation of alternative splicing through epistasis and meta-analysis for bulk RNA-seq studies. With every rotation, new participants brought fresh perspectives to the discussion, leading to many insightful conversations.

While the last day of the retreat focused on group-specific topics, such as cleanup of servers, we also exchanged ideas on best practices for teaching and student assessment, as well as effective ways to communicate scientific research to a broader audience. The final day of the retreat wrapped up with a vibe-coding workshop, where we explored how AI can help turn ideas into working prototypes in a matter of minutes.

What made this retreat so special was not only the exciting scientific discussions, but also the open, supportive, and friendly atmosphere.