BioSysteM Welcomes First Cohort of Doctoral Researchers

_{About 40 doctoral researchers gathered in Herrsching to connect and learn more about BioSysteM. © Marvin Lüpke / BioSysteM}

From June 11 to June 12, 2026, we gathered about 40 doctoral researchers affiliated with BioSysteM at Haus der bayerischen Landwirtschaft Herrsching to get to know each other and launch the Graduate Program together.

On the first day, BioSysteM speaker Prof. Friedrich Simmel introduced the aims and structure of the cluster. Afterwards, the doctoral researchers presented their thesis projects with palpable enthusiasm. We also provided information about the cluster’s infrastructure, ranging from access to state-of-the-art instrumentation to opportunities for public engagement. Following a workshop on research data management, the day concluded with networking by the lake. 

Lively discussions and active participation 

On the second day, we dove deeper into the opportunities and support offered by BioSysteM. In his venture talk, postdoc and founder Philipp Harder shared how he began his entrepreneurial journey during his doctoral research. We also discussed the vision for BioSysteM’s AI core unit and spoke about the social and political dimensions of research in synthetic biology. 

To close, we shared and reflected on BioSysteM’s Graduate Program, which aims to provide tailored support for our doctoral researchers. The session – and the event as a whole – was characterized by lively discussions and active participation. 

We thank all our fantastic speakers and participants for their valuable contributions.  

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