I was new stable isotope research before attending SIBS. Despite being new to this field, I found myself leaving the workshop with both direction and understanding that I didn't think possible in just a week. The presenters were all incredibly knowledgable and from a broad range of disciplines. I talked with plant and soil researchers about how their work might be applicable to my research in entomology, which was a unique opportunity for cross discipline discussion. It was the perfect atmosphere to learn, chat and make friends. I would reccomend it to any researcher interested in isotopes!

by Sebastian Judkins, Attendee — SIBS 2026 Camden

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

Chasing the Storm

During SIBS 2020, a surprise hailstorm hit Canberra with golf ball–sized hail. Instead of running for cover, we grabbed our vials! Soon we were sampling hailstones to analyse how isotope ratios vary from surface to core — pure scientific curiosity in action!

The SIBS workshop is a great setting to learn about isotopes — whether you're a first year PhD candidate or a seasoned post-doc. You learn new methods, the subtlety of this complex and elegant discipline, and you make excellent connections with future colleagues and friends.

by Nathan English, Instructor