Probably none of us would have suspected just a few weeks ago that Europe would become a sealed-off trouble zone within a very short time. The new corona virus is powerfully paralysing social life in virtually every country, and it is not yet clear when something like normality will return to our everyday lives. Smart ideas and new ways of working are now needed to keep things "running smoothly" despite the greatest restrictions on our lives since World War II.In every crisis there is also an opportunityLaboratories are also limited by the effects of the virus in their work. Colleagues are sent to the home office, conferences are held via Skype and keeping distance from each other also applies at work. The less direct contact and exchange that takes place and is allowed to take place in laboratory work, the more digitalisation comes into focus. Mobile working from home, efficient exchange of research results and statistics via cloud and location-independent access to laboratory databases are now in demand. And a guarantee for efficient, secure work even in the age of Covid-19. It is already clear that the future belongs to digital working methods. Better networking - faster research results: This point in particular should be of the greatest relevance at present when it comes to the search for vaccines or drugs against the virus. So the biggest health crisis humanity has faced in over 100 years is indeed an opportunity. Namely the chance that the now forced use of digital working methods will fundamentally change our lives. Less presence in the workplace and therefore less consumption of resources. Easier, global exchange of knowledge - and thus faster findings in research.We will certainly master the crisis. That the world will be a different one afterwards is just as certain.In the meantime: Stay healthy!
