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Humans are, by nature, social beings driven by connection and collective belonging. Throughout history, our survival and progress have depended on our ability to form communities, share knowledge, and work towards a common purpose. We possess an intrinsic need to belong to something larger than ourselves [1]. Yet, paradoxically, taking your first steps into a scientific career can feel like the exact opposite of this communal nature.

For many early-stage researchers, the world suddenly feels surprisingly small within the confinement of the laboratory walls, as if we were chicks inside our shells. The beginning of a scientific career often feels like an ‘incubation period’ shaped by the routines of the laboratory: long hours at the bench, management of diverse cell cultures, repeated experiments, failed protocols, incremental progress, and constant problem-solving. It is an environment that fosters growth and curiosity, but it can also feel profoundly isolating.

For us, attending the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) in Dublin became the moment when our shell finally cracked.

Stepping into an international scientific conference for the first time was both exciting and overwhelming. The constant overlap of sessions, the fast pace of discussions, and the sheer amount of groundbreaking research being presented created an intense scientific immersion unlike anything we had experienced before. Everywhere we looked, conversations revolved around innovation, translational medicine, manufacturing challenges, clinical trials, and emerging therapies like tissue engineering with the potential to transform patients’ lives. 

At first, it felt almost intimidating. Suddenly, we were surrounded by senior investigators, clinicians, industry leaders, and researchers from all over the world, people who had spent years building the field we are only beginning to enter. But very quickly, that feeling of intimidation evolved into something else: belonging.

For the first time, we truly understood that our daily work is not an isolated struggle, but part of a much larger collective mission. Suddenly, our specific projects—whether establishing protocols for induced mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), designing strategies for bone regeneration, or optimizing procedures to culture and differentiate immortalized erythroid precursor cell lines (imERYPCs) using bioreactors—felt directly connected to a global effort. Listening to researchers present promising discoveries and real clinical applications reminded us why the foundational science matters. In that moment, the countless unseen hours behind every experiment gained renewed meaning and purpose.

The conference also revealed a side of science that is difficult to fully appreciate within the confines of a laboratory: its profoundly collaborative nature. Some of the most meaningful moments happened not during formal presentations, but in the spaces in between: in hallways, during spontaneous conversations, and through encounters with researchers who once stood exactly where we are now.

We also had the opportunity to present our own research and share our first results, an experience that was both exciting and deeply motivating. Engaging in discussions and receiving feedback from an international audience broadened our perspective and reinforced our confidence in the work we are pursuing.

Meeting scientists from diverse backgrounds and career paths expanded our understanding of what a future in science can look like. Academia, industry, translational research, regulatory science, and clinical development—possibilities that had previously felt abstract—suddenly became tangible through the people we met. At the same time, new ideas and potential collaborations emerged naturally from simple conversations, reinforcing the notion that scientific progress is rarely achieved in isolation.

We arrived in Dublin as fledglings, cautiously taking our first look beyond the incubator. We returned to our laboratory not only as young researchers with new ideas, but as active members of a global scientific community united by the same shared purpose: improving human health through discovery and innovation.

The shell has cracked open. Our wings are beginning to stretch. And for the first time, we are ready to take flight. We can now officially say we belong to the ISCT community. 

references

1. Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological bulletin, 117(3), 497–529.

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