Science in Dialogue: International Workshop on “Evolutionary Rescue” at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
 

To the Point:

• Interdisciplinary exchange: Modellers and experimentalists jointly discuss new approaches to the topic of evolutionary rescue – from concepts to applications.
• International expert meeting: Five days of intensive dialogue with specialists from Europe and North America.
• Focus on early-career researchers: A pre-school provides an introduction to theoretical models for young researchers and interested members of the institute.

From 29 June to 3 July 2025, the international workshop “Evolutionary Rescue – bridging the gap between theory and experiments” was held at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön. The event brought together leading experts from various fields to shed interdisciplinary light on a central topic in evolutionary biology: the evolutionary adaptation of populations to rapidly changing environmental conditions that would otherwise lead to extinction.

This was the second workshop on the topic organised by Hildegard Uecker (MPI Plön) and Matthew Osmond (University of Toronto). Following the successful launch in 2023 with a focus on mathematical models, the second edition placed special emphasis on the targeted exchange between modellers and experimentalists. The aim was to discuss which theoretical ideas need to be tested experimentally, how experimental data can be better interpreted through models, and which open questions should be addressed through the joint development of theory and experiment.

Invited speakers included Helen Alexander (University of Edinburgh), Lutz Becks (University of Konstanz), Robert D. Holt (University of Florida), Jitka Polechová (University of Vienna), and Laure Olazcuaga (CNRS – SETE). In addition to expert lectures and poster presentations, discussion rounds provided space for lively exchange and new impulses for future research collaborations.

Ahead of the main event, a “pre-school” was held, offering early-career scientists and experimental researchers an accessible introduction to theoretical models of evolutionary rescue.

The workshop’s concept proved highly effective. As Helen Alexander remarked: “I left this workshop full of ideas, feeling refreshed and inspired. The workshop was perfectly designed to encourage building bridges through the small, focused workshop format with plenty of time for discussion.” Similarly, Ruben Hermann (University of Konstanz) shared: “This was truly one of the best workshops I have attended! It showed me again why I love (discussing about) science and evolutionary rescue so much. I cannot wait to implement all the new ideas from the workshop, hopefully together with the newly gained contacts.” A first joint research project involving several participants is already underway.

Gaining a better understanding of the conditions under which species can adapt quickly enough to survive drastic environmental changes is of great practical importance – especially in the context of climate change, which threatens the survival of many species worldwide. Equally crucial is this knowledge in cases where adaptation is undesirable, such as the evolution of resistance to drugs or pesticides in medicine and agriculture.
Through the workshop, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology actively promoted the exchange between theoretical modelling and experimental research in this highly topical field.