Inspired by discussions during NCCR in RNA & Disease retreats the Ciaudo, Santoro and Marques groups have recently organized a very successful joint lab retreat in the Bernese Oberland. This event gathered 21 researchers from the 3 teams for 2.5 days of fun and science in Oey. The scientific program covered ongoing projects on the roles of noncoding RNAs, RNAi proteins and epigenetic modifiers in stem cell biology and cancer. In the evening teams combining members of all groups and at different career stages had fun explor-

ing collaborative project ideas that were discussed during the last evening. Team 1 came up with a new approach to identify molecular players in chromosomal architecture. Team 2 will personalize colorectal cancer treatment and team 3 will find ways of targeting cancer cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Everyone came back boosted with energy and ideas and interactions between the 3 groups started to materialize. CSM retreat will be definitely repeated next autumn.

“What I liked the most from the Ciaudo-Santoro-Marques retreat was the great and fruitful exchange between the three labs and the nice feedback and interactions with other colleagues working in similar research areas.”

“The very first CSM lab retreat boasted a fabulous environment for both scientific and casual interactions among the three research groups.”

“A relaxed atmosphere to discuss science of different but still closely related research areas, widening one’s own horizon to new topics and details otherwise overlooked”

“ This retreat was a really nice (and necessary) occasion to recall that scientific seminars can be simultaneously fun and instructive.”