Bruno Moerschbacher

Prof. Dr. Bruno Moerschbacher leads the Molecular Phytopathology group at the Institute of Biologically Based Plant Protection (IBBP), University of Münster. His research spans 30+ years and focuses on functional biopolymers like chitosans, their enzymatic modification, and applications in sustainable agriculture and biomedical fields. The group comprises ~20 students, postdocs, and technicians with strong international collaborations.

• Research bridges fundamental studies on chitosan structure-function relationships and applied development for bio-based economy
• Key projects: CARAPAX (antimicrobial chitosans), NanoBioSaccharides (biomedical applications), PolyModE (non-random acetylation patterns), ChitoBioEngineering (industrial production), and CuChi-BCA (plant protection with copper combinations)
• Collaborations with industry partners led to 3 chitosan-based plant protectants (1 EU-approved)
• Service unit ChitoProf offers chitosan structural analysis to academia/industry

His work has catalyzed the transition from petroleum-based to bio-based materials, with recent focus on third-generation chitosans. Students and postdocs from India, Brazil, Mexico, and Europe have been integral to his research. Projects are funded by EU, German ministries (BMBF, BMWi, BMEL), DFG, and DAAD fellowships.