MBI laser research concentrates on the generation of extremely short and/or intense laser pulses with cutting edge parameters. For the MBI as a research institute devoted to short pulse spectroscopy and nonlinear optics, the development of novel laser sources is of paramount importance. Laser sources developed in-house offer parameters that are at the scientific forefront, unavailable from commercial lasers. In particular, the availability of a very broad spectral range from terahertz radiation up to hard X-rays allows for unique experiments. Few-cycle pulses, ultra-intense short laser pulses, compact, diode pumped laser sources, ultrafast nonlinear optics for frequency conversion and pulse characterization, and new materials, are presently in the centre of our attention.