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 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.
We believe diversity and inclusion leads to the best science.
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
Current News and Announcements
Odorant receptor orthologues in conifer-feeding beetles display conserved responses to ecologically relevant odors. Molecular Ecology (accepted)
Plectranthus zeylanicus: A rich source of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial, disinfectant and anti-inflammatory activities. Pharmaceuticals / Molecular Diversity Preservation International 15 (4), 436 (2022)
Sequestration of defenses against predators drives specialized host plant associations in preadapted milkweed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeinae). American Naturalist 199 (6), pp. 321 - 331 (2022)
Yuko Ulrich is the first recipient of the new research award of the Zukunftskolleg of the University of Konstanz. She convinced the jury with her research on the interaction between social organization and disease resistance in social insects.
After the IMPRS symposium on April 6-7, 2022, Ghada Yousif, Devasena Thiagarajan, Marilia Freire, and Andrea Müller received the presentation awards for the best talks and posters.
Prof. Denise Dearing, Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, USA, is currently visiting our institute as a guest scientist with funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.