At The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), our reputation is built on the stellar research outputs of our scientists. We’re proud to be recognized as a world-leading institute in molecular plant-microbe interactions, but we believe our role extends beyond publishing groundbreaking research. We aspire to be the beating heart of the plant biology community, a vibrant hub where novel knowledge and technologies are rapidly deployed and shared.
TSL Summer Conference
One of the ways we extend our impact is through the Summer Conference on Plant-Microbe Interactions. This event brings together international keynote speakers, local speakers and selected Early Career Researchers. The event, which extends to two weeks, offers plenty of time for informal and social interactions to discuss the latest approaches and discoveries in Plant-Microbe Interactions.
Building lasting connections
This year’s event brought together 20 Early Career Researchers from a dozen countries along with daily Keynote speakers. How did it go? Don’t take my word for it. Here is the testimony of Liz Florez, postdoc at Kiel University (CAU) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Germany:
I recently attended the TSL Summer Conference 2024, which was an incredibly inspiring and fulfilling experience. The theoretical and practical insights shared with me and 19 other early-career researchers over the past two weeks were invaluable, and allowed me to forge lasting connections, mentorships, and friendships.
A huge thank you to the The Sainsbury Laboratory group leaders — Cyril Zipfel, Wenbo Ma, Sophien Kamoun, Dan McLean, Nick Talbot, Frank Menke, and Jonathan Jones — and their brilliant teams for openly sharing your research and methodologies with us.
Young researchers, I highly encourage you to participate of this conference when it next occurs. Group leaders, motivate your students to apply and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
Finally, after meeting the other 19 ECR delegates, I am confident that the future of plant health research is in good hands. This group is truly a powerhouse! 🔋🌱
Impact is changing how others think
TSL maintains a very strong progressive brand, as evidenced by the various documents on our website. Several Summer Conference delegates commented on how open we were in sharing our protocols and science. Indeed, our aspiration to be a vibrant hub where novel knowledge and technologies are rapidly deployed and shared requires exactly that — a desire to share. Impact is much more than publishing papers; it’s about changing how others think and advancing the entire field.
As our Executive Director, Nick Talbot, wrote in a message to the lab, TSL is committed to impacting the community and humankind through a multitude of activities. Here’s an excerpt from Nick’s message:
I think it is worth saying that the International Summer Conference showcased the essence and mission of TSL so well. It demonstrated our scientific excellence and daring research, but also our commitment to open science, transparency and helping the wider scientific community through our actions, wherever they are in the world and whatever their background. We were able to showcase the full spectrum of our activities, outreach and partnerships, and commitment to solving problems in plant health for humankind.
Stay Connected
Follow our journey and join the conversation on social media, and don’t miss out on our upcoming events and courses. Together, we can grow a brighter future for plant-microbe interactions.
Welcome to TSL — the global hub for plant-microbe interactions!
