Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

The ship-timber beetle's fungal partner: more than just a food source In collaboration with scientists from the University of Würzburg, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology studied the ambrosia fungus of the ship-timber beetle and made an a...

Maximilian Lehenberger, Jonathan Gershenzon et al. show in The ISME Journal how a symbiotic fungus helps the ship-timber beetle survive in dead wood. www.ice.mpg.de/525357/PR_Le...

🚨A few days left to apply! 🚨

Work with us to uncover how birds evolve resistance to prey toxins, resurrect ancient proteins, and map the rules that shape molecular adaptation.

🧬 Fully funded BBSRC PhD
📅 Deadline: 7 Dec
🔗 www.liverpool.ac.uk/courses/bbsr...

New super pest combines broad spectrum of microbes The reed leafhopper has evolved rapidly from a reed grass specialist into a dangerous pest that attacks important crops such as sugar beets, potatoes, carrots and onions, as well as reeds. It lives in...

The reed leafhopper has become a major crop pest targeting sugar beets & potatoes. Scientists from @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social et al. show that it hosts 7 bacteria, 2 of which spread plant diseases. The microbial community may be key to its success in switching hosts. www.ice.mpg.de/524703/PR_Vo...

Huge congratulations to Pamela Medina van Berkum on successfully defending her PhD! Supervised by @sunsicker.bsky.social and Jonathan Gershenzon, her work on how plant biodiversity shapes chemical defenses bridges ecology, chemistry, and evolution. Pam is now part of Sybille’s group at @uni-kiel.de.

Sodalis bacteria use a network of nanotubes aka tubenets to reach beyond the boundary of their own cells and aqcuire nutrients within the competitive environment of host cells. It was a pleasure working with you and your team, seeing the project evolve over the years! Thanks for having us on board!

We are very proud - yesterday, Somasundar Arumugam successfully defended his PhD thesis on "Exploring innate and learned sensory behaviors in Drosophila under natural and perturbed context".
He was supervised by Prof. Silke Sachse.
Congratulations!!!!

A glimpse into the cell factory: matching gene expression to metabolite production in single plant cells A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has successfully combined single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell mass spectrometry (scMS) analysis on the same plant ce...

A research team from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social has made a breakthrough in elucidating the biosynthesis of plant natural products by combining scRNA-seq and scMS in the same plant cell. The study was published in @pnas.org. www.ice.mpg.de/516369/PR_Ka...

Doctoral researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, and the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology came together for the first Max Planck PhD Day in Jena which included speed dating and skills-sharing sessions and networking.

Discovery of iridoid cyclase completes the iridoid pathway in asterids - Nature Plants Iridoids are terpenoid metabolites found in thousands of plants. Using single-cell transcriptomics, the authors discovered an unexpected enzyme that has been neofunctionalized to catalyse the cyclization required to form the iridoid scaffold.

Very exciting to finally see our iridoid cyclase ICYC online @natplants.nature.com!
A joined effort with Robin Buell’s lab with Josh Wood generating snRNA-seq, and my student Chloée Tymen performing the initial experiment.
#natprod
#PlantScience
@mpi-ce.bsky.social
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Final step in the biosynthesis of iridoids elucidated Until now, a crucial step in the biosynthesis of iridoids, a class of plant defense substances that are also medically relevant, had remained undiscovered. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Che...

Missing piece of the puzzle for the formation of iridoids found! @maitecolinas.bsky.social from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social et al. have identified the enzyme responsible for iridoid biosynthesis—the key to natural products with medicinal potential. www.ice.mpg.de/512932/PR_Co...

Warning colour or camouflage: Why some animals shine bright and others disappear in plain sight A global study explores why some animals use bright warning colors while others rely on camouflage for predator evasion. Findings reveal that predator competition and habitat influence these strategie...

New study in @science.org reveals why some animals display striking colors to warn predators while others use camouflage. Our former group leader @hannahmrowland.bsky.social, now @livuni-ives.bsky.social was part of the global project on the evolution of animal colors. www.ice.mpg.de/511966/PR_Me...

A recipe from two eras for protection against bark beetles: Andrew O’Donnell et al. show in PNAS that some resin diterpenes are older than conifers themselves, while others developed independently—presumably to protect against bark beetles. www.ice.mpg.de/510162/PR_OD...

HUGE congratulations also to Jessil Pajar on successfully defending her PhD thesis! 🎓 Her research, supervised by @nmvandam.bsky.social, explores novel strategies to strengthen plant resistance against a major pest, drawing innovative insights from interactions with microscopic nematodes.

We are proud to announce that Sol Yepes has successfully defended her PhD thesis on intraspecific chemodiversity in Black Poplar supervised by @sunsicker.bsky.social. Her work advances our understanding of plant diversity as a foundation for ecosystem resilience. Congratulations!

Toxicity is a good defense, until it isn't : Short Wave Imagine, you’re a toxic toad hanging around South America. No other animals are gonna mess with you, right? After all, you’re ~toxic~! So if anyone tries to eat you, they’ll be exposed to something ca...

Featured on NPR: @shabmohammadi.bsky.social and her team study how predators adapted to toxic substances to safely consume toxic prey. Humans have used these toxins for thousands of years, even prescribing them to treat heart failure. Listen to the whole story: www.npr.org/2025/08/19/n...

Reduced genome – flexible performance: How symbiotic bacteria with minimal genetic information provide optimal support to their hosts Symbiotic bacteria that live permanently with a host and are connected to its metabolism lose many genes over the course of evolution that are no longer required. A research team at the Max Planck Ins...

Researchers from the @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social show in @emboreports.org ‬that despite having only a tiny genome, the symbionts of reed beetles can adapt their gene activity flexibly to the developmental stages and ambient temperatures of their hosts. www.ice.mpg.de/509125/PR_Ca...

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!