BiOrbic’s Annual Research Day 2026

Each June, BiOrbic hosts its Annual Research Day to bring together its research community for a day of knowledge sharing and networking. The theme for 2026 was synergy – reflecting the power of collaboration at the heart of BiOrbic.

Uniquely, the day is co-designed and hosted by the PhD and Postdoctoral researchers working across BiOrbic’s research challenges. By ensuring each session is presented and chaired by these early career researchers, the event shapes a safe, supportive and positive environment for peers to showcase their work.

Science, Media & Art

This year, BiOrbic was delighted to welcome a number of special guests, including Journalist in Residence Sylvia Thompson (features writer with The Irish Times) and Graphic Illustrator Esther Blodau.

Sylvia Thompson has been embedded with BiOrbic for the past few months, engaging with our researchers to upskill in the area of the bioeconomy. Sylvia has also delivered invaluable training to our student researchers, equipping them with the skills to effectively write for a public audience.

Esther Blodau is a renowned graphic recorder and illustrator. We engaged Esther to create a live visual representation of BiOrbic and its impact across research, policy and society. A larger, permanent iteration of this work has been commissioned and will take centre stage at BiOrbic headquarters in UCD later this year.

Celebrating Excellence

A major highlight of the day was the presentation of the annual BiOrbic Centre Awards. This year, four exceptional members of our community were crowned:

• Best Spotlight Talk 2026: Awarded to Katie Gilbert for her presentation entitled ‘Engineering Bacteria to Produce Novel Antimicrobial Peptides’. ’
• Best Poster 2026: Awarded to Dr. Manuel Bruch for his poster entitled ’ReBioCycle – Integrating Biodegradable Plastics in a Circular Economy”.
• Public Engagement Award 2026: Awarded to Lia Freitas, BiOrbic’s social media guru, for her outstanding dedication to bringing the public into the bioeconomy conversation.
• Researcher of the Year 2026: Awarded to Ana Del Hierro, a Marie Curie Talent4BBI candidate, in recognition of her research contributions.

While BiOrbic is thrilled to recognise the achievements of this year’s winners, each contributing Centre Member deserves commendation. The success of Research Day 2026 is a testament to everyone who contributed as a presenter, chair, organiser or attendee.