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This year, the TACTIC Summer School took place in Leipzig. Just like last year, the first day was dedicated to the doctoral candidates presenting and discussing the progress made in their respective sub-projects. A group canoe trip rounded off the day. Starting from the boat rental at the city harbor, the route led along the Elstermühlgraben, past the Upper Elster Weir onto the White Elster river, and from there via the Karl-Heine-Canal towards Lindauer Hafen. Leipzig, you really have some beautiful spots!

On the second day, in the "Great Scientific Figures" hands-on workshop, Dr. Matthias Mayer covered the communication of scientific content through graphics for posters, presentations, and publications. AI-based tools were also introduced — naturally, with due regard for the principles of good scientific practice

Alongside the workshop, our guests — Prof. Dr. Julian Thiele from the Institute of Chemistry (OVGU) and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Sager, Max Planck Fellow and Chair of Mathematical Optimization (OVGU) — were able to contribute their respective expertise through both short presentations and discussions with the project team regarding the further development of TACTIC.

In the concluding keynote, Dr. David Fecher from BioNTech IMFS shared his journey into industrial research—a path he chose after completing his doctorate at OVGU. He contrasted academic and industrial research and offered insights into the skills that can facilitate this transition.

Our PhD researchers aren’t only in the lab with plenty of motivation: for the traditional Magdeburg running event on July 2, 2026, five PhD students had signed up to take on this challenge as a mixed team. With pleasant temperatures and a fantastic audience at the Elbauenpark, it was clear to everyone after the finish line: we’re doing it again next year!

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to Biomechanical Engineering student Emerson, who stepped in at the last minute to fill in for a participant who couldn't make it!

You can now find more information about TACTIC PhD students on LinkedIn. They regularly feature doctoral candidates and their projects there.

Did you know, for example, that it's possible to generate blood cells outside the body in so-called artificial bone marrow niches?

Learn here how next-generation neuroprostheses communicate with the brain.

The right mix: application oriented materials research.

The topics presented here will be udated cotinuously.

From 7 to 11 September 2025, the annual conference of the European Society for Biomaterials took place in Turin, northern Italy. Among the more than 1,000 participants were TACTIC PhD students Charlotte von Heckel from the Core Facility Tissue Engineering and Rebecca Höpfer from the Chair of High Temperature Materials. Both had the opportunity to share their research with scientists from around the world in one of the diverse poster sessions. 

The numerous scientific presentations given in the various sessions illustrated the wide range of topics covered by the term ‘biomaterials’: next to metallic materials, their additive manufacturing and surface modifications, there was a special focus on bioreactor- and hydrogel-based in vitro models. During the ESB award ceremonies, attendees were also introduced to leading scientists in the field of biomaterials, including Liz Tanner, professor of biomaterials at Queen Mary University of London.
  
Special attention was also given to PhD students. The Young Scientists Forum organized an evening specifically designed for connecting and exchanging experiences with peers.   It was a scientifically very impressive week, accompanied by Italian flair and good food.