A Week of Science and Fun: Lab Get-Together in Umeå

A week-long visit from Trondheim team member Nancy energised the Umeå lab, bringing fresh perspectives to our research and strengthening team bonds. After months of virtual meetings, the in-person collaboration led to breakthroughs in the lab and culminated in a spirited team challenge at Prison Island, demonstrating the irreplaceable value of face-to-face scientific partnerships.

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Cell wall dynamics team

1/26/20251 min read

The team at Prison Island. From left to right: Nasrin, Klaudia, Laura, Demetrio, Bastien
The team at Prison Island. From left to right: Nasrin, Klaudia, Laura, Demetrio, Bastien

What a fantastic week we had hosting Nancy from our Trondheim team here in Umeå! After months of Zoom calls and virtual meetings, it was incredible to finally collaborate in person. There's just something special about being able to chat over coffee and work side by side in the lab.

Nancy hit the ground running with our biopolymer analysis platform, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to our ongoing work. The energy in the lab was contagious as we bounced ideas off each other, troubleshot experiments together, and made breakthroughs that would have taken much longer over video calls. Her enthusiasm for the work sparked some fascinating discussions that had us all thinking in new directions.

To cap off the week, we couldn't resist taking Nancy to one of Umeå's hidden gems - Prison Island! If you haven't been, imagine an escape room meets obstacle course meets team challenge. Nancy teamed up with Nasrin and Bastien, and watching them tackle the puzzles was hilarious. They absolutely crushed it, taking first place and having a blast in the process. The other team –Klaudia, Demetrio, and Laura– was also good, but could only make it to the second place.

Looking back, what stands out isn't just the scientific progress we made (though there was plenty of that!), but how energizing it was to spend time with such a brilliant colleague and friend. These are the kinds of weeks that remind us why we love what we do. Already looking forward to the next visit!