Welcome to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

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.

We do research in the lab to better understand interactions at a molecular level.

We do research in the glasshouse and in the field to better understand interactions and signals in their natural environment.

We do research in the glasshouse and in the field to better understand interactions and signals in their natural environment.

Photo: Anna Schroll
Training and international collaborations are key features of our work.

Training and international collaborations are key features of our work.

We believe diversity and inclusion leads to the best science.

We believe diversity and inclusion leads to the best science.

We celebrate our 25th anniversary together with our neighboring institute.

We celebrate our 25th anniversary together with our neighboring institute.

Follow the QR-code to listen to short podcasts about our current research.

Research News

Nature is inventive - the same substance is produced differently by plants
The production of special plant defense compounds has evolved independently in distantly related plant families
Tracking down the formation of cardenolides in plants
Researchers identify the first enzymatic step in the biosynthesis of these plant steroids important in the medical treatment of heart disease
Division of labor affects the risk of infection
Ants that leave the nest to forage are more likely to be infected by parasites than their nestmates who take care of the brood

Current News and Announcements

Publications

Körnig, J.; Ortizo, K.; Sporer, T.; Yang, Z.-L.; Beran, F.: Different myrosinases activate sequestered glucosinolates in larvae and adults of the horseradish flea beetle. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 163, 104040 (2023)
Yun, M.; Kim, D.-H.; Ha, T. S.; Lee, K.-M.; Park, E.; Dweck, H.; Knaden, M.; Hansson, B. S.; Kim, Y.-J.: Male cuticular pheromones stimulate removal of the mating plug and promote re-mating through pC1 neurons in Drosophila females. (2023)
Salem, H.; Kaltenpoth, M.: The Nagoya Protocol and its implications for microbiology. Nature Microbiology 8, pp. 2234 - 2237 (2023)

News

During the 3rd International Conference on Insect Pest Management, Bill Hansson, director of the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology, was awarded a honorary professorship at Nanjing Agricultural University.
On October 23, 2023, Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) Jena, represented by its Vice President Prof. Dr. Christoph Steinbeck, awarded Martin Kaltenpoth the Honorary Professorship of Evolutionary Ecology in the university's auditorium.
The employee of the Human Resources Department was honored for her achievements during her vocational training.

Events and Seminars

Stephan Pollmann

Indole-3-acetamide a novel nexus in orchestrating osmotic and drought stress responses in Arabidopsis
Jan 18, 2024 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)

Axel Mithöfer

Vortrag in deutscher Sprache
Feb 8, 2024 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)

Symposium - Frontiers in Chemical Ecology

Feb 20, 2024 08:45 AM (Local Time Germany) - Feb 21, 2024 02:30 PM
Lecture Hall MPI-BGC

Rolf Müller

Novel antibiotics from soil bacteria: Unearthing nature’s biosynthetic potential towards clinical application
Feb 22, 2024 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
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