When I attended the first SIBS workshop in 2013, I did this mostly out of interest. It turned out that the workshop itself was not only much more fun than I could have imagined but the skills I learned also shaped my research direction over the following years. Once I got my hands dirty with working with isotopes, I started contributing to SIBS as an instructor. Now stable isotopes are a core technique we use in my lab to study mesophyll conductance in leaves - and it all started at SIBS!

by Florian Busch, Instructor

We've been running these workshops for more than a decade and although they've changed over time and depending on the venue, they've all been a real success. People have enjoyed them, learnt a fair bit about isotopes and learned to incorporate stable isotopes in their work. I keep meeting researchers who have attended these teaching workshops and stayed in the field. By imprisoning a tight group of students and teachers together for a week, the maximum amount of knowledge has diffused between them, as well as them all having a fair bit of fun.

by Hilary Stuart-Williams, Organiser

EucFACE Expedition

Visiting EucFACE during SIBS 2023 was unforgettable — the world’s only mature forest CO2 enrichment site! Our hosts from Western Sydney University showed how isotopes reveal how rising CO2 affects soils, plants, and microbes.

This workshop significantly enhanced my understanding of stable isotopes and provided valuable opportunities to engage with experts and peers working across diverse research areas. I was grateful to meet knowledgeable and supportive presenters. The program also deepened my understanding of how my samples were analysed and how to interpret the results. The notes and insights I gained will be useful for my future research, wherever it may lead. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in SIs.

by Melanesia Boseren, Attendee — SIBS 2026 Camden