Our annual Science Retreat serves as a cornerstone for the µOrganoLab team, providing a dedicated space to reflect on past achievements, explore new innovations, and tackle upcoming challenges. It’s an opportunity for the team to step back from the day-to-day, engage in deep reflection, and realign our goals and strategies to continue pushing the boundaries of Organ-on-Chip technology. This retreat is not just about scientific advancement—it’s also about strengthening our team dynamics, fostering collaboration, and preparing ourselves for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Why Go Far? Benefiting from Our Home Base in Tübingen
Taking advantage of the picturesque setting of Tübingen and the warm summer weather, the µOrganoLab team gathered at our home base on Tübingen’s Österberg for this year’s Science Retreat. Driven by recent milestones, new innovations, and a repertoire of fresh challenges, the team engaged in profound reflections on major achievements and the key areas of expertise that define µOrganoLab. The retreat provided a unique advantage: interactive workshops on equipment conducted right at our lab sites, including the Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen, highlighted the valuable opportunities available by staying local.
From Milestones to New Horizons: Our Year in Review
Over three days, we immersed ourselves in a diverse program that revisited the learnings of the past year from both scientific and personal perspectives. We recapitulated major findings in areas such as Microfabrication Advancements, Cell Sources & Characterization, Immunological Aspects, and Readout & Imaging Methods. The highlight of these sessions was the knowledge transfer driven by insights, method sharing, and learning from each other’s experiences. The interactive workshops on equipment further enriched our time together, emphasizing the valuable opportunities available at our lab sites at the Medical Faculty of the University of Tübingen and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute in Reutlingen.
Better Together: Growth Through Team Building & Self-Reflection
No retreat would be complete without a focus on team bonding and personal development. Our team spirit was put to the test in a team-building task designed to strengthen communication, trust, and collaboration, literally bringing us closer together. Another highlight was the poster karaoke, where we engaged in lively discussions and gained new perspectives on our colleagues‘ research posters, adding a playful twist to the serious brainstorming sessions. We also dedicated time to updating our time- and self-management skills and, more importantly, explored how to synergize with each other for more creative and effective collaboration. To equip the team with essential soft skills, we refreshed our documentation and presentation expertise, ensuring we are well-prepared for both internal lab management and external representation.
Expanding Our Horizons: New Input from Our Special Guests
We were honored to welcome two special guests who extended our knowledge beyond our own expertise. Dr. Julia Marzi, Group Leader Biophotonics & Spectroscopy in the Schenke-Layland lab at the NMI in Reutlingen, inspired us with new imaging possibilities for our chip systems. Additionally, Dr. Nicole Schneiderhan-Marra, Head of the department Pharma & Biotech at the NMI, shared valuable insights on assays and readout methodologies, sparking fruitful discussions. We thank our guests and look forward to new collaborations!
Time for Social Events!
The sunny summer weather provided the perfect backdrop for our social events. We enjoyed a picnic in the old botanical garden, followed by friendly competitions in Spikeball, Volleyball, and card games. It was a great time to relax and connect outside the lab. The day concluded with a big BBQ, delicious salads, and cold drinks that kept the fun going late into the night.
What’s Next?
The three days we spent together energized us to uncover new ideas, implement cutting-edge technologies, and push the boundaries of µOrganoLab’s research in human-centered Organ-on-Chip technology. Brimming with motivation, we are ready to overcome any hurdles and take our work to the next level, leveraging our new expertise and commitment to teamwork.
To ensure continued progress and growth, we’ve formed focus groups targeting specific tasks for the upcoming year, with the goal of keeping every team member at the forefront of the latest advancements.
We’re ready to scale new heights together and eagerly anticipate what the coming year has in store for us. Stay tuned for updates and details about our next steps!
