Welcome to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
We investigate how organisms interact with chemical signals.
We do research in the lab to better understand interactions at a molecular level.
Photo: Anna Schroll
We do research in the glasshouse and in the field to better understand interactions and signals in their natural environment.
Photo: Anna Schroll
We support the Initiative “Weltoffenes Thüringen”.
We are committed to ensuring that people from different backgrounds live and work together in a respectful manner.
Training and international collaborations are key features of our work.
We believe diversity and inclusion leads to the best science.
Research News
Current News and Announcements
The ash dieback pathogen resists the chemical defences of its host tree, european ash, by depleting them from the growth medium. Plant, Cell and Environment (2026)
Lessons from plant-microbe interactions: Concepts for improving plant nutrition and stress tolerance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (accepted)
Cytokinins promote rust susceptibility in poplar by suppressing defence signalling, reducing defence accumulation and reprogramming primary metabolism. Plant, Cell and Environment (2026)
Sarah O’Connor, our director and head of the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis, has been honored with the 2026 Otto Bayer Award for her transformative work unlocking nature’s chemical secrets.
Bill S. Hansson, the former director of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, received the 2026 Chinese Government Friendship Award. He was recognized for his impact on global science and for strengthening Sino-German research collaborations.
Nature is flourishing on the Beutenberg Campus in Jena! Since 2024, the research institutes have focused on mowing less frequently, rotating mowing areas, and preserving untouched refuges. These changes have created a diverse habitat that benefits people, plants, and animals alike.