With much experience of all things farcical, it was my delight to have returned just in time for the 2024 edition of OPIG’s Tour de Farce, which took place on 11th July. This year’s route was 8 miles long and encompassed four of the finest establishments Oxford has to offer (nothing “unusually conservative” to see here Eoin).
On 5th April 2024, over 60 researchers braved the train strikes and gusty weather to gather at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford and engage in a day full of scientific talks, posters and discussions on the topic of adaptive immune receptor (AIR) analysis!
With the new academic year approaching, OPIG flew off to the rural paradise of Wilderhope Manor in sunny Shropshire for their annual group getaway. The goal of this retreat was assumed to be a mixture of team building, ‘conference-esque’ academic immersion, a reconnection with nature in the British countryside, and of course, a bit of fun. It is fair to say OPIG Retreat ‘23 delivered on all accounts, leaving the OPIGlets refreshed and ready for what the next year may bring.
I don’t believe punting comes up much in Biggie Smalls’ raps (we live a pretty shielded life here in Oxford). Nevertheless, here are some photos from our recent OPunting trip, paired, very questionably and entirely for the pun’s sake, with some of the titles of songs he wrote/featured in.
16:30 BST 27/06/2023 Oxford, UK. A large number of scientists were spotting riding bicycles across town, to the consternation of onlookers. The event was the Oxford Protein Informatics Group (OPIG) “tour de farce” 2023. A circular bike ride from the Department of Statistics, to The Up in Arms (Marston), The Trout Inn (Godstow), The Perch (Port Meadow) and The Holly Bush (Osney Island). This spurred great bystander-anxiety due to one of a multitude of factors: the impressive size of the jovial horde, the erraticism of the cycling, the deplorable maintenance of certain bikes, and the unchained bizarrerie of the overheard dialogue.
From 19th-22nd February I was fortunate enough to participate in the joint Keystone Symposium on Next-Generation Antibody Therapeutics and Multispecific Immune Cell Engagers, held in Banff, Canada. Now in their 51st year, the Keystone Symposia are a comprehensive programme of scientific conferences spanning the full range of topics relating to human health, from studies on fundamental bodily processes through to drug discovery.
With many tours (Farcical and otherwise) restricted due to Covid, 2022 celebrated the resurrection of OPIG’s glorious Tour de Farce. This year’s route was nine miles and an unusually conservative four pubs.
After listening to Lewis’ conference prep talk, we left the Statistics Department around 5pm for a leisurely trundle through Mesopotamia, The Oxford Psychopath, Old Marston and out to our first rest stop, The Victoria.
The Oxford Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership (MRC DTP), the program through which my DPhil is funded, hosts an annual Symposium to highlight research being conducted by DTP students and offer insights into the career paths of external speakers.
This year, I was on the committee organising the Symposium and was involved in selecting student presenters, as well as deciding on and inviting external speakers. It was a great experience!
Panel on careers in biotech featuring Loïc Roux, Ochre Bio (centre); Helena Meyer-Berg, Sirion Biotech (centre right); and Claire Shingler, Oxford BioEscalator (right).
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Following the previous post about OPIG retreat 2022, and having received numerous requests for recipes, I thought I’d document the process of ensuring that 24 people are kept fed and happy. Recipes at the foot of the post.
Disclaimer – these recipes are entirely my own interpretations, adapted where necessary to suit a range of dietary requirements. They are in no way authentic to any national cuisines and are not intended to be.
Disclaimer II: The Disclaiming – all measurements are approximate. I rarely write down recipes or use precise measurements. Taste as you go, and don’t be afraid to add more salt.
Finally, after two years of social distancing, we were able to continue the tradition of OPIGtreat – a 2-3 day escape to the countryside for a packed schedule of talks and fun.
View from the manor house/hostel
This year, the lovely YHA Wilderhope Manor in Shropshire was chosen by Lewis, our trip organizer. With a hostel in the middle of nowhere, with no phone signal, this trip promised to be an exciting get-away from our plugged-in lives at the university.
