LS² Annual Meeting 2026

In today’s scientific landscape, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, but an integral part of research, analysis, and communication. While AI offers powerful tools and efficiencies, its overuse or misuse can lead to errors in data interpretation and scientific outcomes. At the same time, AI opens new avenues for communicating complex science to broader audiences, particularly when scientists struggle to translate their work beyond the lab. This workshop explores critical questions: how much should we rely on AI - not just for the heavy lifting of data processing, but its use in critical aspects of science communication. The workshop is designed to facilitate discussions between young AI users and experienced scientists on use of AI for data processing and science communication. Additionally, we discuss the overarching question of where must the human voice remain irreplaceable?

Metastasis formation is the leading cause of death in cancer patients. We find that metabolic rewiring is a liability of metastasizing cancer cells. For example, we discovered that extracellular remodeling of the metastatic niche, a process essential to metastasis formation, requires a transcriptional-independent regulation via the metabolites. Moreover, we provide knowledge on intratumor heterogeneity of metabolism and its role in pre-metastatic niche and metastasis formation. Thus, we study the metabolism of metastasizing cancer cells with the goal to define novel therapeutic strategies.

Cell death is inhibited in cancers but increased in neurodegeneration, highlighting the importance of its regulation for human health. MAPL is an outer mitochondrial membrane SUMO ligase involved in cell death in both cancer and neurodegeneration in vivo, yet how MAPL controls the fate of this process remains unclear. Combining genome-wide functional genetic screening and cell biological approaches, we found that MAPL induces pyroptosis through an inflammatory pathway involving mitochondria and lysosomes. This discussion will detail the mechanisms by which MAPL and the mitochondria-to-lysosome pathway act at the nexus of immune signalling and cell death.  

Powerful new ways to image the internal structures and complex dynamics of cells are revolutionizing cell biology and bio-medical research. In my talk, I will focus on three emerging technologies capable of revealing new properties of cellular organization at scales ranging from nanometer to atomic resolution. Whole cell milling using Focused Ion Beam Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) was used to reconstruct the entire cell volume at 4-nm voxel resolution, revealing all membrane-bound organelles and their trafficking intermediates at isotropic resolution. Single particle tracking using Halo dyes revealed unexpected features of mRNA trafficking, including sites where secretory proteins are translated on ER and their regulation by lysosomes. Finally, High Resolution Template Matching (HRTM) of ribosome subunits in cryo-EM images of intact human cells afforded a look at ribosomes at different stages of peptide elongation at the atomic scale. Together, these new tools open-up a plethora of questions related to mechanisms of cell structure/function that can now be studied in intact cells at the nanometric/molecular level.