I think it's mainly to be close to the sample collection area while also having a place to do microscopy in semi-privacy. Looking at their equipment, I think they bought everything out of pocket and pay for the hotel on their own.
reply> The team — brought together, in part, by disruptions and despair over the Trump administration’s freezes to federal science funding — [...]
replyI dunno about the states, but in most parts of the UK, it's considerably cheaper than 80 dollars a day to rent a small workspace.
replyNear the beach?
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