Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Meet our director Sarah O'Connor, @oconnorlab.bsky.social, a presence to be reckoned with in the plant science community! Read the latest interview with @newphyt.bsky.social ‬to learn about her passion for plant science and the scientists who inspired her:
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

This is Ahmed Ismaieel, a PhD candidate in our IMPRS who studies moths in the windtunnel. His research into the ability of moths to 'smell' is providing new insights into the intricate relationships between insects and their environments. Read about his journey & more: www.ice.mpg.de/257126/newsl...

Hala Sardouk, a PhD candidate in @shabmohammadi.bsky.social's group, is exploring how organisms adapt to environmental toxins at the molecular level, shedding light on the complex interactions between organisms & their environments. More about her journey & our IMPRS: www.ice.mpg.de/257126/newsl...

Discovering the perfect PhD fit! Iulia Barutia shares her journey to finding our IMPRS program, where she's thriving with a supportive community & access to top resources. Don't give up on your academic dreams! Read about her journey & more: www.ice.mpg.de/257126/newsl...

Meet Johann de Beer, a doctoral researcher studying the symbiotic relationship between Lagria beetles & bacteria in the @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social‬. His research explores how beneficial bacteria colonize & defend their hosts. Read more about his journey & more: www.ice.mpg.de/257126/newsl...

Enzymatic epimerization of monoterpene indole alkaloids in kratom - Nature Chemical Biology Monoterpene indole alkaloids are formed via a 3S stereoselective condensation between secologanin and tryptamine. Here the authors uncover the mechanism of epimerization behind uncommon 3R-containing ...

Here, the authors @oconnorlab.bsky.social @mpi-ce.bsky.social uncover the mechanism of epimerization behind uncommon 3R-containing alkaloids in Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) and study their inclusion in downstream biosynthesis #PlantScience #natprod

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

We are happy to announce that Ling Chuang from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social is one of the awardees of the Best Paper Award from the Wilhelm Pfeffer Foundation. Congratulations to her and the other awardees Sara Leite Dias, a member of the @drsativa.bsky.social lab and our IMPRS, and Shanyu Liu.

Biosynthesis of the allelopathic alkaloid gramine in barley by a cryptic oxidative rearrangement The elusive gene required for the production of the defensive alkaloid gramine in barley hs been discovered.

@science.org paper: doi.org/10.1126/scie...
@drsativa.bsky.social ( @leibnizipk.bsky.social ), @frankelab.bsky.social ‬ ( @unihannover.bsky.social ), and @mpi-ce.bsky.social

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bottle with yellow pigmented substance

🤓New insights into biomass utilization: Researchers at @leibniz-hki.de and @mpi-ce.bsky.social I-CE have decoded the structure of the 🟡"Yellow Affinity Substance" from A. thermocellus, a pigment that binds cellulose and could boost biofuel production and antibiotic research.
#biotech #research #ERC

Today is last day of the ICE-2025 International Chemical Ecology PhD course at our institute. For 2 weeks, 28 doctoral researchers from all over Europe, the US, and Canada studied plant-insect-microbe interactions, evolutionary processes, advanced methods, and even chemical communication in humans.

Lead author @matildeflorean.bsky.social‬ et al. from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social discover a "fake" enzyme in plants that enables the formation of free indole, a key molecule for defense & attracting pollinators.
www.ice.mpg.de/496511/PR_Fl...

Norway spruce trees produce a mixture of substances as protection against insects and fungal infestation Norway spruce trees produce various monoterpenes to protect against insects and fungal infestation. Mixtures of monoterpenes have been shown to be more effective than single monoterpenes against bark ...

Scientists from our Department of Biochemistry show that spruce trees use a mixture of chemicals to combat bark beetles & fungi. New study in Functional Ecology confirms that plant defense is made more efficient by synergy effects AND the use of pest-specific defenses.
www.ice.mpg.de/496050/PR_Za...

Two plant species invent the same chemically complex and medically interesting substance The biosynthesis of the great variety of natural plant products has not yet been elucidated for many medically interesting substances. In a new study, an international team of researchers was able to ...

Researchers led by @maitecolinas.bsky.social from @oconnorlab.bsky.social ‬study the biosynthesis of ipecacuanha alkaloids. They report in @natchembio.nature.com ‬that two distantly related plants use similar approaches, but different enzymes and starting materials, to produce the same substance.

Congratulations to Matilde Florean from the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis on successfully defending her PhD thesis on the "Mechanisms Underlying the Repeated Evolution of Metabolic Pathways in Plants!" So proud of her achievements! We look forward to her future contributions to science!

The MPI-CE team had an incredible time participating in this year's Firmenlauf charity run! The event was not just about running 5 km, but also about the spirit of collaboration and giving back to the community. Thank you to everyone who joined us and to those who supported us along the way!

Big congrats to Rolando Moreira Soto from the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology on defending his PhD! His research on Drosophila oviposition shows females often lay eggs together, benefiting from social feeding despite risks like competition. A fascinating insight into insect decision-making!

Congratulations to Melissa Diaz Morales for successfully defending her PhD thesis on the "Evolution of sex-pheromone receptors in Drosophila" supervised by Nicole van Dam, Markus Knaden and Bill Hansson! 👏 🎓 💐

YouTube video by Universität Jena Dance Your PhD 2025: „Plant Vaccination“ by Priya Reddy

Congratulations to Priya Reddy from our International Max Planck Research School who won the journal Science's 'Dance your Ph.D.' contest in the Biology category. 👋 Her wonderful dance choreography shows how plant vaccination 🌱💉🦠works. Awesome! www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhZE...

PhD project offer: Molecular mechanisms of adaptation and counter-adaptation between Brassica and beetles
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Nicole van Dam, Dr. Franziska Beran, IGZ Großbeeren
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/402520/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...
(c) Anna Schroll

Junior Research Group Plant Microbiosis Dr Matthew T. Agler

PhD project offer: Plant secondary metabolites and the barley microbiome
Supervisors: Dr. Matthew Agler, FSU www.bio.uni-jena.de/en/18304/pla...; Dr. John D'Auria, IPK Gatersleben
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/402506/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...

PhD project offer: A miRNA taming floral homeotic genes
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Günther Theissen, FSU; Dr. Roy Kirsch, MPI for Chemical Ecology
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/490820/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...

PhD project offer: Metabolic exchanges, regulation and equilibrium of an ancient insect symbiosis
Supervisor: Dr. Mariana Galvao Ferrarini, Prof. Martin Kaltenpoth, Dr. Tobias Engl, MPI-CE
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/319554/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...
(c) Julian Kiefer

PhD project offer: Sensing the unseen: How diatoms detect and respond to highly dilute sex-inducing pheromones

Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Georg Pohnert, FSU Jena; Dr. Markus Knaden MPI for Chemical Ecology
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/319540/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...

Structural basis of two-component system signaling - Exciting PhD project offer in Ute Hellmich's group, FSU in collaboration with Sarah O'Connor
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/319526/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/.../cb945467...

PhD project offer: Molecular mechanisms of membrane proteins underlying social insect behavior
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Ute Hellmich, FSU; Dr. Yuko Ulrich, MPI for Chemical Ecology
More information: www.ice.mpg.de/319512/Proje...
Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/.../cb945467...

PhD project offer: With six feet on the ground – How insects sense vibrations

Supervisors by Prof. Manuela Nowotny, FSU and Dr. Yuko Ulrich, MP for Chemical Ecology. More information: www.ice.mpg.de/319498/Proje...

Apply now: www.ice.mpg.de/296534/how-t...

(c) Jan Scherberich

Deadline approaching! If you are interested in doing a PhD in chemical ecology check out the projects and apply here:

www.ice.mpg.de/296548/curre...

jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...

Excellent presentations at the 24th IMPRS Symposium

We are now pleased to announce the winners of this year's IMPRS Presentation Awards: Dongik Chang (best talk), Iulia Barutia (best talk), Eduardo Briceño (best poster) and Fortesa Rama (best poster), here with IMPRS speaker Sarah O'Connor (middle). Congratulations!
www.ice.mpg.de/493675/IMPRS...

Plants as biofactories

We are happy to announce that Marianna Boccia, who did her PhD on the elucidation and metabolic engineering of plant alkaloid and terpene biosynthetic pathways in the @oconnorlab.bsky.social, has been awarded the Beutenberg Campus Prize. Congratulations!
www.ice.mpg.de/493514/Beute...

Alcohol makes male flies sexy Alcohol consumption has a direct and positive effect on the mating success of male fruit flies. This effect is due to the increased production of sex pheromones after alcohol consumption: males who ha...

Alcohol makes male fruit flies sexier! New study from Ian Keesey, Bill Hansson et al. in Science Advances shows that alcohol boosts sex pheromone production in male D. melanogaster, making them more attractive to females. But too much is a turnoff!
www.ice.mpg.de/493119/PR_Ke...