On April 7, Seminar Room 110 in the research building on Albert-Einstein-Straße was buzzing with activity: The Graduate Network of the Department Life, Light & Matter (LL&M) hosted its annual workshop from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM – and impressed with a diverse and inspiring program.

The goal of the event was to foster both academic and personal connections among early-career researchers in the department, which is known for its interdisciplinary research at the interface of natural sciences and technology. The workshop provided space for exchange, inspiration, and the presentation of current research projects.

In a total of 16 short talks, PhD candidates and postdocs offered exciting insights into their work – ranging from novel biodegradable stents and electrically stimulated artificial cardiac tissue to neural networks for NMR data analysis. Environmentally relevant topics such as toxicological investigations of traffic-related emissions were also discussed, as well as technological innovations like piezoelectric stimulation of cells on 3D-printed scaffolds.

What made this event particularly special was the broad interdisciplinary scope of the presentations – chemistry, physics, medicine, materials science, and computational science were all equally represented.

The organizing team extends its heartfelt thanks to all participants, supervisors, and speakers – and is already looking forward to next year’s edition!