We supported Thomas Böddeler from the Interfacial Cell Biology Group (Roland Knorr) with our IZ LIST Travel Grant to attend the Physiology Summer School at the MBL (Marine Biological Laboratory) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA. We are very happy and grateful that he shared the experiences he gained during this course with us as it might be of interest as well as an inspiration for other scientists looking for further training opportunities.
Report
I spent seven weeks during the summer 2023 at the MBL (Marine Biological Laboratory) Physiology Summer School in Woods Hole, MA, on the East Coast of the USA with financial support from IZ LIST. This summer school is famous for its hands-on research environment and interdisciplinary approach to physiology, matching perfectly with the scope of IZ LIST. The course is structured into a first block of fundamentals and three subsequent research rotations of two weeks each. Every lab day (including Saturdays) starts with a lecture given by a diverse cast of scientists who come to visit MBL, with the rest of the day dedicated to lab work. During the fundamentals, we did some ‘classic’ experiments to get comfortable with the lab environment and to learn new techniques. With roughly 25 students from all around the world and with various scientific backgrounds across the sciences, the fundamentals also were a great way to get to know each other and to appreciate each other’s expertise. For example, we purified microtubules and kinesin and later validated the activity of kinesin by observing the progression along microtubules on the microscope.
During the research rotations, different leading scientists brought not only their ideas and inspiration but also reagents and lab members to MBL to pitch different research projects to the students. Bringing in their own ideas, the students then developed and conducted individual research projects with the help of each other and the rotating staff. Such projects have led to numerous discoveries in the past. In fact, MBL also supports students to conduct post-course research by visiting the rotating staff’s home laboratory and continuing the developed ideas. The summer course also attracts various equipment manufacturers, who use the chance to showcase their new developments. For me (as a physicist by training maybe especially so), the research rotations were a great way to broaden my experimental expertise, learning to work with different organisms in the lab and trying out new methods and techniques. Together with the daily lectures, the research rotations offered a unique environment to learn about the various aspects of physiology and to conduct cutting edge interdisciplinary research.
Living and working together in a small port town has also created a close-knit community of the student body. With different social events such as a softball match against another course, trips on Sundays and many small breaks to head to the beach or enjoy the summer when the microscope was busy, the summer school was also a wonderful opportunity to network and form lasting friendships across the globe.
Overall, the MBL Physiology Course has been a very memorable and inspiring time. The intensive research work, but also many fruitful discussions and conversations, condensed so much research experience into these 7 weeks that I feel more confident to develop and work on my own research projects in the future. With this in mind, many thanks to IZ LIST for the financial support!