Last and first day at work: Prof. Bruno Moerschbacher retires as a regular professor – and continues as a senior professor, and with a Fraunhofer association

After almost 30 years, today was Bruno’s last day as a regular professor at the university of Münster, but he was appointed senior professor for one more year. This allows him and his remaining, still strong team to finalise ongoing research projects. Luckily, some lab and office space is still available to our team, and the colleagues at the institute, including Bruno’s successor Prof. Till Ischebeck, are granting us continuing access to the infrastructure required. In addition, Prof. Dirk Prüfer invited Bruno to become associated to the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME. Gradually, we will be able to shift our ongoing activities there, such as our Service Unit ChitoProf, and we are also already planning new projects under the Fraunhofer label. But today was the day to informally celebrate 30 years of increasingly successful and satisfying research, teaching, and transfer activities – and, above all, friendship. Bruno invited all current members of the team and those alumni still close enough to Münster to join him at the Enoteca Bella Vita, where Daniela prepared tasty Italian antipasti and Tommaso opened a few bottles of tasty Italian wines for us – and even played the guitar to an improvised Soft Soul song. What did Picasso answer when he was asked which of the many periods of his work he liked best? After a moment’s hesitation, a smile spread across his face and he said: “La prochaine…” – “The next one...” That’s the spirit!