After a two-year hiatus, the Physics of Life (PoL) community gathered together on November 21st, 2025, to celebrate the return of PoL Day. The full-day event brought together over 160 registered participants to celebrate the year's achievements, highlight plans for the future, and engage in community building activities. The event, sponsored by Zeiss, took place once again in the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD).
The day began with a general assembly led by current PoL Speaker Otger Campàs, who presented exciting highlights from the past year, and outlined plans for the future of the Cluster. The core of the day was dedicated to showcasing the breadth of research happening in Dresden through PoL and participating institutions. This included engaging talks from leading scientists across different disciplines, fostering discussions and interdisciplinary exchange. Featured speakers included Mareike Albert (CRTD), Arash Nikoubashman (Leibniz Institute), Christina Kurzthaler (MPI-PKS), Sandra Sharaw (MPI-CBG), and colleagues from Zeiss Innovation Hub. The event was also captured by a local film crew (AVANGA Filmproduktion GmbH), who were filming sections of the day for the upcoming PoL film project, releasing in January 2026.
The afternoon featured an interactive poster session involving PoL researchers and those from participating institutions. Beforehand, to capture the audience's attention, poster presenters delivered fast-paced 1-minute flash talks summarising their work. To conclude the day, the celebratory 'Pollos Hermanos’ award ceremony was a major highlight. Awards were distributed to the winners of the poster session, the photo competition, and team-building activities. Additionally, PoL PIs used this opportunity to celebrate outstanding staff and colleagues, who were nominated for special awards based on achievements this year. Adding a fun twist to the agenda, PoL PhD volunteers organized a quiz, which culminated in the selection of a jury, who judged mock presentations by PoL core and associate PIs on amusing scientific topics— in a blend of humor and collaboration.
The successful return of PoL Day concluded with live music and a celebratory dinner, allowing participants to connect and reflect on a fruitful day. The event has successfully re-established itself as a cornerstone of the Physics of Life calendar, promoting community and celebrating how far we have come.
Thank you to the organizers of PoL Day 2025, and congratulations to all winners!
------------
Photo Competition winners: Jaime A. Espina (Barriga Group), Shuo-Ting Yen (Campàs Group) and Marie Jagemann (MSc student).
Poster session winners: Marina Marchenko (Ebisuya Group), Arthur Boutillon (Campàs Group), Valentin Ruffine (Barriga Group) and Jinghui Liu (Mateus Group).