As is tradition, the program commenced with a glimpse outside the lab, reminding us that the ultimate goal of our research is to aid patients and the doctors treating them. Three surgeons presented cutting-edge surgical techniques, shared their most unusual cases, and emphasized open clinical needs that should be addressed by research. A mini-workshop following the sessions encouraged students to familiarize themselves with each other and discover commonalities. Small groups were formed based on research field, frequently used methods, authorship records, and more. The aim was to recognize that both common ground and differences can be fruitful in future professional networks.

The session on Advanced Strategies featured futuristic approaches such as micro-robotics, bioreactors, magnetic levitation, and more. Students were challenged to let their imagination run wild and pitch to the audience how they would like to apply these advanced strategies in their own research projects.

The hot topics of extracellular vesicles and cellular senescence each had dedicated sessions, as did a practical session on imaging techniques. A special treat was the session organized by Peter S. Zammit & Philipp Heher from King’s College London, titled “Understanding Human Disease – biomimetic modelling (patho)mechanistic and translational research.” This session critically discussed current challenges in tissue-engineering-based modeling of diseases.

You might be wondering about the entire topic of biofabrication. For the very first time, the TERMIS Winterschool was succeeded by the Alpine Winterschool for Biofabrication, organized by Aleksandr Ovsianikov and Julia Fernández-Pérez from TU Vienna. The event, also supported by TERMIS, featured an exceptional lineup of world-class speakers, many from the TERMIS community. The hosts of both Winterschools have a longstanding friendly collaboration and congratulate each other on the success of these events.