In December, we were delighted to host the Winter School on Robotics and AI for Chemistry at the University of Liverpool. Over five intensive days, participants joined us from across disciplines to explore how artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation are reshaping chemical and materials research.
The Winter School combined expert-led talks, practical tutorials, and team-based projects, creating an immersive environment for learning, collaboration, and discovery.
Day 1: Foundations and Project Launch
The Winter School began on Monday with registration and a warm welcome, setting the scene for the week ahead. An invited talk from Dr Felix Hanke opened the programme, providing insight into the role of AI in modern scientific discovery.
The day continued with hands-on tutorials covering Bayesian optimisation and human-in-the-loop modelling by Manisha Dubey, followed by a practical session on machine vision for chemistry. The afternoon concluded with project briefings, where participants were introduced to the challenges they would be tackling throughout the week and formed their project teams.
Day 2: Optimisation, Simulation, and Community Building
Tuesday focused on developing technical depth and teamwork. A practical tutorial on Bayesian optimisation for chemistry by Dr Bojana Rankovic was followed by a session on robot simulation, giving participants exposure to tools used in automated laboratory design.
In the evening, the Winter School hosted a social networking event, bringing everyone together in a relaxed and festive setting. The highlight of the evening was a Christmas × AI × Chemistry quiz, which sparked plenty of laughter, friendly competition, and creative thinking.
The quiz team names were particularly memorable, clever, topical, and very much on point, with “Bayesian Babes” voted as the best Christmas-themed team name on LinkedIn. The event provided a welcome opportunity for participants and speakers to connect informally and helped strengthen the sense of community that carried through the rest of the week.
Day 3: Robotics and Keynote Insight
On Wednesday, participants moved to the Teaching Hub for a keynote talk by Professor Ram Ramamoorthy. His lecture offered a broader perspective on robotics, autonomy, and their growing role in scientific research. A practical session on robot manipulation followed, before teams returned to focused project work for the remainder of the day. By midweek, it was clear how quickly ideas were developing and how confidently participants were engaging with complex, interdisciplinary topics.
Day 4: Robotics and Keynote Insight
Thursday was largely dedicated to project development. An invited talk from Dr Efi Psomopoulou provided further inspiration, after which teams spent the day refining their approaches, testing ideas, and preparing for final presentations.
This extended project time allowed participants to consolidate learning from earlier sessions and translate theory into practical outcomes.
Day 5: Presentations and Celebration
The final day of the Winter School began with invited talks from Dr Michele Caprio and Dr Shijing Sun, offering diverse perspectives on AI-driven chemistry and materials research.
Following preparation time, teams delivered their final project presentations, showcasing impressive creativity, technical understanding, and collaboration. The week concluded with the announcement of the project winners and a closing session reflecting on the achievements of the group.
A Successful and Inspiring Week
Across the five days, the enthusiasm of both participants and speakers was evident. From the quality of engagement during talks and tutorials to the creativity displayed in the projects, and even the quiz team names. The Winter School demonstrated the value of bringing together AI, robotics, and chemistry in an interactive and collaborative environment.
We would like to thank all our speakers and participants for making the Winter School such a success. We look forward to building on this momentum through future events and continuing to support emerging researchers at the forefront of AI-enabled scientific discovery.
We look forward to seeing you at our next event!
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