This spring and summer have been packed with science, networking, and some special moments —for our lab members. It all kicked off in April when Fouzia got to attend the AFM BioMed Conference in Barcelona, Spain. If you are into atomic force microscopy and mechanobiology, this was the place to be.
Barcelona: Where Ideas Bloomed
AFM Biomed conference in Barcelona was full of fresh ideas and inspiring conversations. Fouzia’s purpose to attend this meeting was to boost her expertise in AFM biomechanics. She has fulfilled it by gaining more knowledge in the field from some of the best minds in the fields such as Prof. Małgorzata Lekka, Prof. Nuria Gavara and Prof. Nancy Forde. Fouzia also gave a talk on her recently published paper about HPV16 and its interactions with heparin. The audience was engaged, and their feedback gave her a real boost. Besides the science, Fouzia met one of the lab members from her previous employer. As Fouzia recalled, “One of the most heart-warming moments for me was running into Itzel, a PhD student from the lab I worked in seven years ago. She’s now continuing the project I started back then. Seeing that my work is still alive and evolving—it was honestly one of the most rewarding parts of the trip for me. On top of this I got to meet some of my scientific heroes.”
ECV congress: Europe’ Largest Hub for Virologists
Then later in April, Marta and Gosia’s went to Dubrivnik, Croatia where they attended 9th European Congress of Virology. This event gathered European virologists from all fields of virus research. In this unique scientific environment, Gosia had an opportunity to present her work concerning the differences in molecular determinants of various filoviruses attachment and entry. Marta gave an oral presentation about our recent work on HPV16-heparin interaction.
Sant Feliu de Guíxols: Science by the Sea
June brought more adventures. We headed to Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a beautiful coastal town in Spain, for two back-to-back conferences:
- EMBO/FEBS advanced course on Physical Virology: Across Length Scales
- FEBS lecture course on Biological Surfaces and Interfaces: Biointerfaces at Lipids, Proteins, and Polymers
As Marta spearheaded the organization of the Physical Virology conference, many talks were fully aligned with the research interests of our group. Overall, the event was a real success! Marta said “it was inspiring to see the community come together with so much enthusiasm. It was truly rewarding to see the culmination of two years of planning and fundraising”.
At this conference, Fouzia presented a poster expanding on her HPV16-heparin study. The discussions were encouraging and thought-provoking—especially with the virologists who offered fresh takes on her work. At the second conference, she gave a talk that led to some great conversations. Dario and Gosia also presented their work. Dario gave a talk at both meeting on his recent work on SARS-CoV-2 and heparan sulfate interactions, and they both presented posters on their recent work on the role of MLD in filovirus entry. Apart from communicating science, Dario also chaired one of the sessions at the Physical Virology conference.
What made these conferences even more special was how involved Dario and Gosia were behind the scenes together with other organizers. They helped with meeting logistics, welcomed guests, and even took care of organizing fun activities for the participants. Their energy and teamwork really helped make the whole experience smooth and enjoyable for everyone. Thank you, Dario and Gosia!
But honestly, some of the best moments happened outside the conference rooms. We took a little break between the two meetings to explore the Spain–France border. It was the perfect chance to unwind and just enjoy being together as a team.
As Gosia put it:
“This year conferences gave me a rare opportunity to meet and listen great talks of both: well-establish experts from filoviruses field at ECV congress and specialists of single particle tracking during Physical Virology meeting, which boosted my knowledge in both fields. But amazing part wasn’t just the science —it was the time we spent together as a team. Sharing meals, walking in small towns, and laughing made this trip unforgettable.”
Celebrating Wins and Unexpected Surprises
One of the most exciting moments? When the conference chair announced the poster prize—and Dario won! 🎉 Huge congrats to him!
He said it best: “Winning a prize is always rewarding, but the real highlight was the feedback and encouragement from fellow researchers.”
And then something totally unexpected happened. What started as a joke in our group chat turned into reality —Fouzia was selected as co-vice chair for the next edition of the Biological Surfaces and Interfaces meeting! She is still wrapping her head around it, but she is very excited for what’s ahead.
EBSA2025: Europe’ largest Hub for Biophysicists
This is not all. Our team members had connected with one of the largest scientific communities for biophysics in July. At 15th European Biophysical Congress 2025 in Rome, Dario gave a talk on his SARS-CoV-2 research and presented a poster on his ongoing work tracking EBOV pseudo particles in 3D. Marta was there too, checking out the latest in biophysics tech.
Dario found the event inspiring—but he wasn’t too thrilled about the heatwave in Rome during the conference. And honestly, we don’t blame him. 37°C is way too much to do anything…
Looking Ahead
This summer has been more than just a series of conferences. It’s been a journey—full of learning, laughter, and connections. We are heading into the next season with fresh ideas, new collaborations, and a lot of inspiration. We will leave you with a quote from Marta that really sums it all up: “It’s not just about the data—it’s about the people, the stories, and the shared passion for scientific discovery.”
Thank you to all our funding resources for the financial support!
Written by: Fouzia | Edited by Marta, Gosia, Dario, and Co-pilot