While the last few years have seen an explosion in the development of single molecule methods and ultrafast spectroscopy with significant contributions from the Munich area, those techniques are ripe for application to biologically relevant problems. In turn, advances in the mechanistic understanding of protein function will strongly depend on the application of advanced single molecule techniques. CIPSM offers a unique opportunity to join together first class expertise from instrumental and methodological development and protein science ranging from peptide chemistry to whole organisms. A comparable concerted research effort is exceptional even on the international scene.