The five key takeaways from #EESWildModels that explored the 'wild frontiers' of model organisms, from phytoplankton to sea anemones, water striders, roundworms, and more 🌿🦈🦠

➡️ www.embl.org/about/info/course-and-co...

By Kausthubh Ramachandran ✍🏼

🦈🪸🦠 Following the first edition of 'Wild frontiers of model organisms', it's time to introduce the #EESWildModels poster prize winners! 👏🏼

A round of applause for:
🏅 Thomas Beavis
🏅 Jess Bourn
🏅 Adrian Nogales Moral
🏅 Frederic Zimmer
🏅 Mirko Pleitner

👉🏻 https://s.embl.org/ees25-02-blog

So many things happening that we didn’t have time to share the good news. Our PhD Student Thomas Beavis received best poster Prize at the #EESWildModels for his work on diatom symbioses in the wild… !

🎉👏

Absolutely phenomenal week for the #EESWildModels.
A pure celebration of biological wonders, and incredibly engaged participants.
Thanks to all the co-organizers and @events.embl.org for making this possible !
See you in 2027 ? (please fill the feedback form)

📸 The photo gallery from the conference is now live on the online event platform! Head over to check out the highlights, relive the best moments, and see if you can spot yourself in the crowd 👀✨

Thanks again to everyone who made it such a memorable event! #EESWildModels

That’s a wrap on the EMBO | EMBL Symposium: 'Wild frontiers of model organisms'! 🐠🌍🔍

Thanks to our scientific organisers and to all who shared their science and energy. Congrats to our poster prize winners—exceptional work! 👏 #EESWildModels

Let’s keep exploring the unknown and see you next time!

I had a wild time presenting my coral work for the first time at EMBO/EMBL #EESWildModels.

Massive thanks to @embl.org @events.embl.org and the organisers for putting this together. It was a real pleasure to interact with so many weird and wonderful creatures...
...and their model organisms (!!)

Congrats to Mirko Pleitner for winning the FEBS Letters Poster Award! Mirko from the lab of @simonereber.bsky.social at @humboldtuni.bsky.social presented an excellent poster at the @embo.org @embl.org Symposium "Wild frontiers of model organisms". Thanks for the fantastic insights! #EESWildModels

🥳 Congratulations to Thomas Beavis from the Vincent group at the DB Unit @embl.org and Jess Bourne from the Dorrity group @embl.org on winning a poster prize at the Wild Frontiers of Model Organisms #EESWildModels symposium

A picture of an Aiptasia anemone with their dinoflagellate symbionts shining like stars in the surroundings being presented by Meghan Ferguson

Was a pleasure to present my work on immune regulation of symbiosis in corals and anemones at the Wild frontiers of model organisms conference hosted by @events.embl.org Highly recommend you checking out this event again in 2027! #EESWildModels

Jonas Brandenburg presents a talk in a conference room. A slide is projected on the wall that reads "Warming oceans impact marine life", with a picture of a bleached coral and a temperature graph with increasing values.

Congratulations to Jonas Brandenburg from @lionlchristiaen.bsky.social lab for a great talk today at the #EESWildModels Symposium 🤩👏 Jonas presented his latest work on the impact of temperature on #Ciona development 🌡️ @events.embl.org @embo.org 📸 Joergen Benjaminsen

Science by day, beats by night 🧬🎶
Sunset skies, science minds, and the EMBL DJ Club bringing the groove to the rooftop. Thanks to everyone who came out and made it such a special evening 🎧🌇 #EESWildModels
But the symposium isn't over yet! Time for the last talk of the day and poster prizes reveal 👀

Excited to have given a talk at the EMBO|EMBL Symposium: Wild frontiers of model organisms. Grateful for the opportunity to share my work and connect with a diverse community of #researchers and see new #modelorganisms!!

#eeswildmodels

@embl.org @events.embl.org

#EES25 #EMBO #Science #scicomm

Hanh Vu @hanhtkvu.bsky.social, Group Leader at the @embl.org DB unit presenting the diversity of size, pattern and colour of Life #EESWildModels #planarians #DevBio

Modifications of dinner menu by inspired participants... What would/did you eat? #EESWildModels

Kicking off #EESWildModels Session 5! 🐠🌊🔍
➡️ 'Identifying phytoplankton-bacteria symbioses'
🎙️ Jean-Baptiste Raina from the French National Centre for Scientific Research, France / University of Technology Sydney, Australia

☕️ A quick coffee break to recharge—essential for surviving the packed conference schedule. #EESWildModels
Taking a moment between sessions to refuel and reconnect. 💬🫱🏾‍🫲🏻
These breaks aren’t just about caffeine—they’re where the best side conversations happen and new collaborations spark.💡
@embl.org

Welcome to Day 3️⃣ of the EMBO | EMBL Symposium 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' 🪸🐟🦗
➡️ 'Mechanisms underlying colour pattern variation within and between species of cichlid fishes' 🐠
🎙️ Emília Santos – University of Cambridge, UK
#EESWildModels
@emiliapsantos.bsky.social @embl.org @embo.org

Mixing it up by Julia Johnke: "The intricate relationship between Drosophila and Caenorhabditis in their natural habitat!" #EESWildModels

✨ POSTER SESSION TIME ✨🧠
📜📊 Step aside, art galleries — the real masterpieces are covered in graphs, citations, and stats! #EESWildModels
Expect:
✔️ Breakthroughs
✔️ Color-coded p-values
✔️ Enthusiastic scientists ready to explain why this matters
✔️ Free snacks (because science runs on snacks)

'Wild frontiers of model organisms' continues after the break 🦠🪸🌿
➡️ 'Wild frontiers in A. thaliana: finding new model systems within a well-studied model species'
🎙️Angela Hancock – Purdue University, USA
#EESWildModels
@ahancock.bsky.social @embl.org @embo.org

We're back after lunch and it's time for 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' Session 3!
➡️ 'Where the wild things are – host-microbe interaction of symbiotic marine nematodes and how to tackle them'
🎙️ Nikolaus Tobias Leisch – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany
#EESWildModels
@embl.org

Nematodes wearing bacterial coats.

Nikolaus Leisch at #EESWildModels

☕️ Scientists have confirmed a direct correlation between caffeine intake and survival during jam-packed conference schedules. 📊
#EESWildModels evidence:
🔬 3+ cups of coffee = increased poster session stamina
🧠 2 espresso shots = enhanced question-asking confidence
🚀 Cold brew = warp-speed networking

🦠🐠🪸 #EESWildModels Day 2️⃣
🎙️'Water striders: a journey to building an emerging model' presented by Abderrahman Khila from the École normale supérieure de Lyon / Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
@embo.org @embl.org @ensdelyon.bsky.social @cnrs.fr

We give you the winners of yesterday's 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' pub quiz: Wildebeests 👏🏼🏆
Well done to all teams, it was a fun evening!
#EESWildModels

It's time for the first poster sneak peek at 'Wild frontiers of model organisms'! 📜👀 #EESWildModels
Lots of interesting research on display and a great opportunity to socialise 🗣️
And we're not even done for the day yet – who's ready for the pub quiz❓🤩

💻🎧 Most of our events are hybrid and we love welcoming an engaged virtual crowd submitting questions and networking online! 💬💡
🎙️'How to recognize your symbiotic partner with each new generation: Lessons from the squid-vibrio association' (remotely) presented by Margaret McFall-Ngai #EESWildModels

☕🍎The 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' crowd needed a quick break to recharge, grab a coffee and a snack, and of course to continue talking those wild models – we never really take a break from science, do we? 😅
#EESWildModels
@embl.org @embo.org
@mwdorr.bsky.social

Spending this week on a 'Wild frontiers of model organisms' EMBO | EMBL Symposium
and am very keen on seeing what people are doing on all these organisms 🐙🪸🦠🦄
#EESWildModels! 🌏🔍