The GerBI Community Meeting 2026 participants, picture by Christian Schmidt

GerBI Community Meeting 2026: Bringing the GerBI Community Together

From March 16-18, 2026, the beautiful Frauenberg Conference Monastery in Fulda transformed into a vibrant meeting place for the bioimaging community as GerBI hosted its Community Meeting. Over three inspiring days, members and guests came together to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen the connections that make this community so special.

A Warm Start

The meeting opened with a welcoming session that immediately set the tone: open, friendly, and collaborative. During an interactive Menti session, it became clear that GerBI is more than a scientific network, it is a community built on shared curiosity and the joy of connecting with others. Conversations started naturally, and the energy in the room reflected a genuine excitement to engage and socialize.

Sharing Knowledge and Ideas

The program offered a rich mix of talks, discussions, and interactive sessions. Monday focused on the GerBI members themselves, who shared how and why they are involved in the community. These personal insights were particularly valuable, highlighting individual journeys, the benefits of being part of GerBI, and the dedication behind the scenes. It became evident just how much this community thrives through active participation and shared commitment – and how quickly involvement in GerBI escalates once it is sparked.

A special highlight of the day was the poster flash talk session by the GerBI Teams. These short, dynamic presentations sparked curiosity and led to lively, in-depth discussions later during the poster session, accompanied by drinks and a relaxed atmosphere.

Tuesday’s community mixer brought in fresh perspectives from international and national partners, including DGfZ, Global BioImaging, and the young DPG. The session on AI in bioimaging organized by our Team Industry Cooperation with two invited speakers (Dominik Kutra (EMBL) and Constantin Pape (University of Göttingen) drew strong interest, reflecting the growing importance of these tools in research. The hands-on FAIR data management session presented by Johannes Soltwedel (GerBI) added a practical dimension, offering participants concrete ideas to take back to their own work.

In the afternoon, the GerBI General Assembly provided an important moment for reflection and planning. Alongside board elections, the session highlighted the many achievements and ongoing activities within GerBI over the past year and plans for the next year. We’re warmly welcoming Silke Tulok as secretary in the GerBI Board and thank Christian Feldhaus for his meaningful work during his time in the Board.

Wednesday continued with engaging sessions on QUAREP-LiMi and GerBI’s work on DIN and ISO standards, where discussions around quality and standardization were complemented by the memorable “Pixel-Dexel” story. The NFDI4BIOIMAGE session offered valuable updates (e.g. on the NFDI4BIOIMAGE helpdesk, be encouraged to reach out to it!) and marked the launch of a new NFDI4BIOIMAGE community survey, inviting further engagement from participants.

Connecting Beyond the Sessions

Beyond the scientific program, the meeting truly came alive through its social moments. Some of the most meaningful exchanges happened during the coffee breaks, where ideas flowed just as freely as the coffee. In fact, one of these spontaneous discussions even led to the founding of a new interest group on Light Sheet Microscopy, showing once again how collaboration within GerBI often starts informally and grows organically.

Tuesday evening’s social event, bowling, offered the perfect opportunity to unwind. Friendly competition, lots of laughter, and shared experiences highlighted how much this community values connection beyond science. And of course, the highlight of the evening: the Best Bowling Award for Britta Schroth-Diez, celebrating her incredible skill of 5 strikes in a row and with this the highest number of points in a game during the whole evening.

Thank You to the Community

A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who contributed to making this meeting such a success, from the organizers (including our photographer Christian Schmidt!) to the speakers (32 in total!), and to all participants who brought their openness, energy, and enthusiasm. The GerBI community continues to thrive because of its people: supportive, engaged, and passionate.

We’re already looking forward to the next opportunity to come together: TiM2027, because after the community meeting is before TiM 😉