Since its foundation in 1995, EMPSEB has been a yearly international conference organised by PhD students for PhD students working in evolutionary biology and related fields, inspired and supported by the European Society for Evolutionary Biology (ESEB). The meeting provides a platform for early-career researchers to present their work, exchange ideas, and build scientific networks. The 31st edition of the meeting, EMPSEB31, took place in Oberwiesenthal, Germany, and brought together almost 80 participants from Germany and 20 other countries worldwide.
Participants presented the various topics
The conference program covered a wide range of topics in evolutionary biology, including evolutionary genomics, ecology and adaptation, host–parasite interactions, evolution and speciation of plants and animals and theoretical biology. All participants had an opportunity to give a talk about their research. The programme also included poster sessions, keynote lectures, workshops on scientific writing and ethics in ecology and evolution, a guided bird-watching tour, and a discussion session on diversity and inclusion.
Testing presentation styles
In addition to the scientific presentations participants also had the opportunity to present their research in a creative "alternative presentation". They were free to choose the format, ranging from songs and poems to drawings, short plays, and other creative performances. Together with the social events these activities supported interactions between participants as well as keynote speakers and contributed to the open and welcoming environment of the meeting.
Overall, EMPSEB31 continued the tradition of the EMPSEB meetings by bringing together PhD students to present and discuss their research, exchange scientific ideas and establish new collaborations. The organisers are thankful for financial support from the German Society of Plant Sciences (DBG) among others.