When people think of academic conferences, they usually picture sterile convention centers, fluorescent lighting, and endless rows of PowerPoint slides. They don’t usually think of world-class public transit, incredible food, or sharing a living space with a donkey.
But my recent trip to the SETAC Europe 36th Annual Meeting in Maastricht, Netherlands, proved that a scientific conference can be an adventure in every sense of the word.
As someone whose background was primarily rooted in studying the more negative effects of plastic pollution, my career took an unexpected turn when I joined a postdoc lab that leaned into the material benefits of plastics. It forced me out of my academic comfort zone and beautifully united three fields that are too often siloed: Sustainability, Materials Science, and Biology.
Going into SETAC, my colleague Dr. James Brown and I wanted to bring this cross-disciplinary, objective mindset to the global stage. We submitted a session titled, “Microplastics Research: Beyond Fear-Mongering, Towards Trustworthy Science.” Our goal was to address the elephant in the room. While micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) accumulation is a genuine concern, the field too often defaults to sensationalized language and depressing narratives that solely vilify the material instead of focusing on rigorous, solutions-driven science.
What happened next blew us away. We knew the topic was timely, but we didn’t expect the scientific community to respond with such overwhelming enthusiasm.
Our session didn’t just generate buzz, it became the most popular session at the entire conference. Because the demand was so high, the organizers granted us an additional session to accommodate all the presentations and moved us into a room capable of holding 1,000 people. Walking onto that stage was an incredible milestone. It was by far the biggest conference stage I have ever stood on, and looking out at a packed house of scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders was a moment I won’t soon forget.
What truly elevated the experience was the sheer quality of the presentations. We listened to researchers from across the globe break down complex characterization errors, analytical biases, and ethical scientific communication. Seeing different fields of science come together to tackle these challenges was proof that diversity of expertises is exactly what we need to expedite real progress.
As incredible as the conference was inside the MECC, the experience outside of it was equally unforgettable.
First of all, a massive shoutout to the Dutch public transit system. Getting around Maastricht and the surrounding region was flawlessly efficient. Clean, punctual, and beautifully integrated, it made the daily commute a breeze and served as a great reminder of how sustainable infrastructure actually looks in practice.
Then there was the food. From local delicacies to fresh pastries, Maastricht kept us incredibly well-fed throughout the week (shoutout to Dominique, our BnB host who made us an amazing breakfast every morning).
But the undisputed highlight of our accommodations was our unexpected housemate. We stayed at a place outside of Maastricht where we lived alongside a donkey and some goats, all rescues. Coming home from a high-stakes day of debating microplastic data, standing on massive stages, and networking with global experts, only to be greeted by a friendly donkey was the perfect way to wind down.
SETAC Maastricht was a powerful reminder of why I chose this path. When we put our scientific challenges out in the open, move past sensationalized narratives, and embrace cross-functional collaboration, we build trust back into science.
Now, back to the lab (and missing our donkey friend).