Explaining how oligonucleotides are retained in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) might not seem an obvious starting point for an entertaining video. But University of Geneva researchers Jonathan Maurer and Megane Aebischer took on the challenge – and won first place in the ISC Tube 2026 competition at the 35th International Symposium on Chromatography, held in Prague on September 6–10, 2026. The competition invites scientists to bring chromatography to life through short, creative videos, with winners selected by live audience voting.
“In our video, we tried to explain the retention mechanism of oligonucleotides in HILIC in a fun and entertaining way,” Maurer and Aebischer explain in their joint responses. “Since our research group works on this topic, we thought it would be nice to take part in the ISC Tube Competition.”
Neither had experience directing, producing, or editing videos. They used ChatGPT to generate character images, then Gemini to create sequences, supplying prompts and reference images to help maintain consistency between scenes. Simple editing software brought the sequences, transitions, and voice-over together. The whole process took about six hours.
“Of course, it is not the work of a professional director, but we were honestly amazed by what we managed to create in such a short time,” they say. “Actually, the most difficult part was coming up with the ideas and jokes!”
Their advice to other scientists considering a similar project? “You just need an idea, a little time, and the motivation to try.”
Watch Maurer and Aebischer’s winning video below.
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