This year, the scientific retreat of the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE: CSIC-UPF) included the “Developmental and Evolutionary Transcriptomics” lab led by Manuel Irimia, coordinator of the Joint Program on Evolutionary Medical Genomics CRG-UPF-IBE, and the Barcelona Natural Sciences Museum (MCNB). Together with the IBE community, a total of 147 participants attended the event.

The Scientific Retreat begins with science and community

The retreat opened at 11 a.m. at the Hotel Vilar Rural in Sant Hilari Sacalm, surrounded by the forest landscapes of the Guilleries. After a welcome coffee, the meeting officially began with remarks by IBE director Salvador Carranza and deputy director Elena Bosch. The Institute’s leadership highlighted the success of the initiative, with high participation this year.

A scientific program full of evolutionary perspectives

The program opened with the conference “Brilliant Bats: How bats and their genomes could save the world?”, delivered by this year’s invited speaker, Emma Teeling from University College Dublin.

 Afterwards, Marc de Manuel, principal investigator of the Mutation Dynamics Lab, presented his research on the determinants of mutation rates across cellular and evolutionary scales.

Short talks by predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers

One of the highlights of the retreat was the two short talk sessions, where postdoctoral and predoctoral researchers presented their work in five-minute talks. The presentations reflected the great scientific diversity at IBE, ranging from transcriptional complexity in animals and the evolution of multipartite bacterial genomes to human genomic diversity in the Iberian Peninsula, the fascinating diversity of protists, and the invasion of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta in Europe.

After lunch, Aida Andrades-Valtueña, a Ramón y Cajal researcher who will join IBE in spring 2026, gave a talk on pathogen diversity in the past and their adaptation in the context of anthropogenic change.

The second short talk session continued to showcase the institute’s diverse research lines: conservation genomics of endangered reptiles, sex-specific evolutionary histories in primates, the impacts of global change on urban birds, and studies on insect reproduction, ancient human diets, and the evolution of arthropod respiratory systems.

In parallel, the Institute’s management team took part in a coaching session led by external trainer Alicia Marín. The session highlighted the defining traits of high-performing teams and key elements for cohesion, communication, and trust to achieve a balance between productivity and positivity.

Complexity, sustainability and the future

Luís Francisco Seoane, principal investigator of the BIT Lab, explored the concept of the “arrow of complexity in time,” while Macarena Toll-Riera, principal investigator of the Evolutionary Microbiology Lab, presented new findings on evolutionary adaptation in non-model bacteria.

Sustainability also had a prominent place in the program. The IBE Sustainability Committee shared ongoing initiatives and future lines of work. Invited by the committee, IBE principal investigator Rosa Fernández gave a talk on green computing and the environmental impact of research infrastructures.

The day concluded with the award for best predoctoral short talk, which was given to Sara Gordillo, laboratory technician in the IBE Evolutionary Genomics group.

Science by day, community by night

As tradition dictates, the retreat was not only an opportunity to share science but also to strengthen the IBE community.

 After dinner, participants tested their knowledge in a lively quiz organized by Francesc Calafell. The evening continued with a beginner bachata class led by Rocio Mozo and Bernat Garcia, filling the dance floor, and music late into the night by Polychronis Tatsis.

A hike to close the retreat

The following morning, attendees enjoyed a mountain walk around Sant Hilari Sacalm, a relaxing activity before heading back home.

Inspiring talks, social events, and a strong sense of community made the 2026 IBE retreat a memorable experience for all participants.