On September 29-30, 2014, several CBR members, including Don Brooks, Jay Kizhakkedathu, Manu Thomas Kalathottukaren, Erika Siren, Yan Mei and Ed Conway were hosted by Drs. Rainer Haag and Marie Weinhart and their colleagues and students at the Frei Universiteit Berlin for a 2-day workshop on polymers. It was a terrifically stimulating and inspiring couple of days, where scientists, young and “old”, openly shared novel ideas and approaches to solve important biomedical questions, using a wide range of different polymer-based technologies.

Emerging from this workshop, there are already definitive plans to share knowledge and reagents, and to establish a sustained academic exchange program.This unique international collaboration between scientists with like interests and complementary knowledge and skills is well-suited to yield major commercializable advances, with opportunities to enhance education, research and training.