The 3^rd CRC 1279 student retreat, organized by Helene Hoenigsperger, Dennis Freisem, Jan Lawrenz and Sabrina Noettger, offered students of the CRC 1279 two-days for networking and professional development. While the first day focused on addressing challenges during the PhD and building an essential skill set for both academic and personal growth, the second day was characterized by networking and scientific discussions. From October the 24^th to the 25^th the event took once again place at the Humboldt Institute in Lindenberg, Allgäu.

The retreat started off with a hands-on workshop held by Dr. Sara Rogalski. The workshop addressed common challenges students face during their PhD. The topics included self-awareness, recognizing stress symptoms, strategies for stress management, utilizing your own resources effectively, and improving them further. This session provided attendees with practical tools to navigate the demands of doctoral research and fostered open discussions on well-being and resilience. Following the workshop, the social evening began with an engaging scientific pub quiz centered on CRC 1279, featuring a variety of challenging questions, like: How much funding did the CRC receive until now?, When was the first ever CRC Monday seminar?, and how many seminars took place until today?.

On Friday, the retreat continued with a poster session, where students presented their latest research findings. This session not only allowed participants to delve into their projects in detail but also highlighted the diverse techniques available across the CRC, encouraging collaborations, e.g.: between the departments of Electron Microscopy and Molecular Virology to verify incooporation of proteins onto viral particles by nanoparticle staining. The very relaxed and casual atmosphere supported the creative exchange of scientific knowledge and ideas. The session culminated in awarding of poster prizes. Three outstanding posters by Julia La Roche, Jasmin Bellemann and Nicole Stadler were awarded with a monetary price totaling 300 €.

Taken together, the annual CRC 1279 student retreat 2024 successfully combined professional development with social engagement, leaving attendees with new skills, a good social network within the CRC and plenty of new ideas for their own projects and cooperation.