Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

@mpi-ce.bsky.social

We investigate the chemical communication between different organisms - plants, insects and microbes - in Jena, Germany.

447 followers151 following74 posts

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Congratulations to Kristina Schädel on successfully defending her Ph.D. thesis on the role of facultative bacterial endosymbionts in pea aphids. We’re proud to celebrate this achievement with her supervisors, Grit Kunert and Jonathan Gershenzon, and wish her all the best for her future career!

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Researchers from our Department of Biochemistry have discovered a detoxification strategy employed by fungi that involves binding a sugar to spruce defense compounds, thereby disarming them. This makes spruce trees more susceptible to bark beetle attacks. www.ice.mpg.de/572033/PR_Sun

ice.mpg.deFungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugarA research team at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has discovered a previously unknown detoxification strategy in fungi introduced into spruce trees by bark beetles: Two fungal species a...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Researchers from our @oconnorlab.bsky.social found that the oil beetle's parasitic larvae mimic floral scent to attract bees, allowing them to sneak into their nests. This is the first example of an animal mimicking flower odors to manipulate an ecological interaction www.ice.mpg.de/563251/PR_Alam

ice.mpg.deOil beetle larvae smell like flowers to manipulate beesThe larvae of the European oil beetle mimic floral scents to attract wild bees and thus infiltrate their nests. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have identified monoterpeno...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

The ERC-funded EPIDEMIC project using clonal raider ants as a model for studying social behavior has officially concluded. Here are the surprising insights that @yukoulrich.bsky.social and her team gained, as well as what they are investigating now: cordis.europa.eu/article/id/4...

cordis.europa.euInvestigating the social determinants of disease riskExperimental research with clonal raider ants reveals the social dynamics of disease transmission.,,,European Commission
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Since 2024, the Beutenberg Campus institutes have focused on mowing less frequently, rotating mowing areas, and preserving untouched refuges. The biodiversity concept is paying off. 47 plant species were identified and 120 insect species were observed in one morning. www.ice.mpg.de/561217/biodi...

ice.mpg.deThe Beutenberg Campus places a strong emphasis on biodiversityNature is flourishing on the Beutenberg Campus in Jena! Since 2024, meadow management has undergone a fundamental shift: the research institutes are implementing an innovative biodiversity concept tha...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Researchers from the @museuciencies.cat, @ibe-barcelona.bsky.social, and our @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social have discovered UV-induced blue-green biofluorescence in the fire salamander which may be involved in courtship, migration, or predator warning. www.ice.mpg.de/557727/PR_Bu...

ice.mpg.deBiofluorescence discovered in the fire salamanderResearchers have discovered that the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is biofluorescent. A new study reveals that this iconic species emits turquoise light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation...

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology reposted

Informationsdienst Wissenschaft - idw
@idw-online.de

Forschende des Naturkundemuseums, des Instituts für Evolutionsbiologie des CSIC und der Universität Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona sowie des Max-Planck-Instituts für chemische Ökologie in Jena entdecken UV-induzierten blaugrüne Biofluoreszenz b... weiterlesen

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Our international team of 24 ran strong for "Max Planck!" at the Jenaer Firmenlauf. On #DiversityDay2026, we also ran for #WeltoffenesThüringen because Thuringia should be a place where everyone feels welcome, valued, and safe. Thumbs up to our team for spreading the word! #JenasFirmenLaufen

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Fascinating research results from a team in our @oconnorlab.bsky.social including Ryan Alam, Tobias Köllner and Danny Kessler on blister beetle larvae mimicking flowers and their scent.

Chris Simms@chrisnsimms.bsky.social

And here's one for @sciam.bsky.social on the amazing biology of the European blister beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus). The larvae, which clump together in an orange mass, are the first animals known to mimic flower scent - they do it to attract bees. 🧪 🪲 🐝 🌼 www.scientificamerican.com/article/beet...

scientificamerican.comThese baby beetles work together to look—and smell—like flowersParasitic beetles are the first animals known to imitate floral scents
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

A research team from @yukoulrich.bsky.social‘s lab at our institute has identified the first brood pheromone in ants—thereby proving that larvae of clonal raider ants actively influence the colony’s reproduction cycle. www.ice.mpg.de/550783/PR_Pi...

ice.mpg.deAnt larvae control parental care by using odor signalsIn the clonal raider ant (Ooceraea biroi), workers in a colony alternate between caring for larvae and laying eggs in a coordinated cycle. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology ...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Ronja Krüsemer and Martin Kaltenpoth of @kaltenpoth-lab.bsky.social et al. report in @natcomms.nature.com on the rapid loss of a beetle symbiont following infection with another bacterium. This could be the key to systematically investigating symbiont exchange. www.ice.mpg.de/549447/PR_Kr...

ice.mpg.deMillions-of-years-old insect symbioses are surprisingly fragileMany insects have lived in close symbiosis with bacteria for millions of years, during which time the bacteria have provided them with vital nutrients, making the mutualistic relationship so close tha...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

The process by which the cinchona tree produces quinine has been elucidated. In a new study published in @nature.com, researchers from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social and the @universityofga.bsky.social unveil the biosynthetic pathway behind this 400-year-old secret. www.ice.mpg.de/548102/PR_Ki...

ice.mpg.deMystery of quinine biosynthesis solvedFor centuries, the process by which the cinchona tree produces its valuable alkaloids, including the life-saving quinine used to treat malaria, was shrouded in mystery. Now, a research team from the M...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Markus Knaden et al. from the Odor-Guided Behavior Group in collab. with @yukoulrich.bsky.social report in PNAS that ozone destroys colony-specific odors causing attacks within the colony – a dramatic example of how human pollution can disrupt social systems in nature. www.ice.mpg.de/530492/PR_Ji...

ice.mpg.deAir pollution causes social instability in ant coloniesA research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology has shown in a new study that ants returning from habitats affected by air pollution are attacked when they re-enter the colony. The ...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Researchers from our Dept. of Biochemistry and @uni-kiel.de led by @sunsicker.bsky.social show in @pnas.org that the loss of plant diversity has an impact on the odor signals emitted by plant communities—with consequences for their interactions with other organisms. www.ice.mpg.de/527832/PR_Me...

ice.mpg.dePlant diversity shapes chemical communication in ecosystemsResearchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and the University of Kiel have provided experimental evidence showing that reducing plant species diversity alters plant chemical signals ...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

Ruo Sun, Jonathan Gershenzon et al. from our Biochemistry Dept. report in PNAS that the insect-pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana can detoxify the defense substances of bark beetles, which originate from plant precursors, and successfully infect the insects. www.ice.mpg.de/526562/PR_Sun

ice.mpg.deFungus turns bark beetles’ defenses against themSpruce bark beetles use the plant defense compounds in spruce bark as a protective mechanism. After feeding, they metabolize the antimicrobial phenolic compounds into more toxic derivatives to protect...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deThe ship-timber beetle's fungal partner: more than just a food sourceIn 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...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deNew super pest combines broad spectrum of microbesThe 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...

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology reposted

Tobias Engl
@tcsengl.bsky.social

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!

INRAE UMR BF2I@inrae-umr-bf2i.bsky.social

📣 #OurLastPaper is out! And it's a major breakthrough that we're publishing in @cp-cell.bsky.social l: we've discovered architect bacteria that build complex structures to feed themselves better! #SymbioSky 1/5

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deA glimpse into the cell factory: matching gene expression to metabolite production in single plant cellsA 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...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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.

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deFinal step in the biosynthesis of iridoids elucidatedUntil 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...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deWarning colour or camouflage: Why some animals shine bright and others disappear in plain sightA 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...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

npr.orgToxicity is a good defense, until it isn't : Short WaveImagine, 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...
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
@mpi-ce.bsky.social

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...

ice.mpg.deReduced genome – flexible performance: How symbiotic bacteria with minimal genetic information provide optimal support to their hostsSymbiotic 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...