We had a great 2-day Kickoff-Meeting in December 2021, which originally was planned to take place at the HZI in Braunschweig with lots of time to discuss science and get to know each other to foster collaborations and welcome our new members. However, an RNA virus turned our plans upside down and we switched to a virtual meeting, which nevertheless started great discussions and stimulated novel ideas. Let’s hope this was the last symposium where we just saw each other on screens.