A long-standing research relationship is bearing fruit. The scientific exchange and cooperation between TU Braunschweig and the Universidad de Chile in Santiago de Chile is to be intensified through a joint graduate school on extremely adaptable bacteria that can degrade petroleum residues. To this end, Dr Ignacio Poblete, Associate Professor of Bioprocess Engineering from Santiago de Chile, visited the Braunschweig Centre for Systems Biology (BRICS) as a guest scientist.