This week Tom, Tobi, Sylvia, Eva, Kinga and Alice attended the Physics of Life conference at Harrogate Convention Centre. This was the second edition of this biennial event, representing science at the interface between biology and physics. Tobi has provided his perspective on the conference -

“It was an absolute joy to attend POL 2025 in Harrogate this week. This conference brings together biophysicists from around the world for four days of fascinating talks, discussions, and discoveries. From single-molecule techniques to organism development, from computational simulations to cutting-edge microscopy, the breadth of topics covered was truly inspiring.

One of the most exciting aspects of POL is how it showcases the diversity and dynamism of biophysics. The field is constantly evolving, integrating new technologies and ideas to uncover the fundamental principles of life. Each talk and conversation reinforced just how interconnected different disciplines are—whether it’s physics, biology, chemistry, or data science, biophysics sits at the heart of them all.
Beyond the science, what made this conference truly special was the people. Engaging with researchers from all over the world, hearing about their work, and sharing ideas was a fantastic experience. The passion and enthusiasm in every discussion reminded me why I love being part of this community.

As I leave POL 2025, I feel energised, inspired, and more excited than ever about the future of biophysics.”

The group took advantage of the gorgeous Yorkshire weather and visited the Harrogate Gardens

There were many excellent talks on offer, but the standouts included Lorna Dougan’s fantastic talk on studies of protein networks, Erin Cutts discussing her brilliant work on Top2a using optical tweezers, and Aakash Basu explaining the use of his Loop-seq technique to study DNA flexibility.

During the conference, Tom, Tobi, Sylvia and our visiting PhD student Eva presented posters on their current work in the lab. These sparked lots of interesting discussion and questions!

Alice also chaired an interesting discussion with Raveen Tank on the future and direction of the Physics of Life community. Lots of interesting and important points were discussed including how to support researchers within the community (especially ECRs) and how important it is to remain strong in the goal of improving inclusivity and diversity within research.