This year’s lab retreat was the perfect mix of science and fun near the beautiful Mjøsa lake in Norway!

We kicked off with inspiring scientific sessions and workshops that continued over 2.5 days of the retreat. It was well-balanced with social activities including fun team games such as Genomics Bingo, cooking meals together, and plenty of laughter in a relaxed set up. It was also great to hear from the invited guest speaker, Dr Päivi Pihlajamaa from the University of Helsinki, Finland, about her CRISPR project and the importance of resilience and perseverance in scientific research.

One of the main highlights was preparing lunch and dinner in small groups, which was a great way to spark teamwork (and some delicious food!) besides the social activities to engage and energise the team. It was a wonderful chance to connect outside the lab, share ideas, projects and enjoy time together as a team.

Prizes from the social activities:

• Genomics Bingo – Winners: Divyesh, Fei, Celina

• Rebus puzzle game – Winner: Team Biswa (Charlene, Divyesh, Emilia and Himanshi)