Desert ants navigate using landmarks around them to find home and now it turns out that they also use the location of fights with intruder ants as mental GPS markers to help them navigate when off course to find home @mpi-ce.bsky.social doi.org/10.1242/jeb....

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

Fungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar

A 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...

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New study by Markus Knaden and his team published in @jexpbiol.bsky.social shows Tunisian desert ants link aggressive encounters to specific spots—turning fights into mental GPS markers. Social memory, not just sight or smell, helps them correct navigation. journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/...

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

Oil beetle larvae smell like flowers to manipulate bees

The 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...

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Ahmed R Ismaieel and Sonja Bisch-Knaden from our Lepidopteran Neuroethology Group describe in a new paper in @jexpbiol.bsky.social that Manduca sexta moths also use their wings to smell.

Journal of Experimental Biology@jexpbiol.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Moth wings are bristling with senses and now Sonja Bisch-Knaden and colleagues @mpi-ce.bsky.social have discovered that tobacco hawkmoth wings have a sense of smell too doi.org/10.1242/jeb....

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...

Investigating the social determinants of disease risk

Experimental research with clonal raider ants reveals the social dynamics of disease transmission.,,,European Commission

cordis.europa.eu

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...

The Beutenberg Campus places a strong emphasis on biodiversity

Nature 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...

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We are delighted to announce that Ahmed R. Ismaieel successfully defended his PhD thesis on the olfactory role of mouthparts, legs and genitalia in the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. Congratulations to Ahmed and his supervisors, Sonja Bisch-Knaden, @nmvandam.bsky.social, and Bill Hansson. Well done!

We are thrilled that Matilde Florean, a former PhD in the @oconnorlab.bsky.social, received the Otto Hahn Medal by @maxplanck.de for groundbreaking research on the convergent evolution of the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites in plants. Congratulations, Matilde! www.ice.mpg.de/558167/otto-...

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...

Biofluorescence discovered in the fire salamander

Researchers 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...

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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

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

Congratulations to @hellmichgroup.bsky.social! The Max Planck Society awarded her a Max Planck Fellowship. We are happy to have her as a Max Planck Fellow and look forward to intensifying our collaboration with her. www.ice.mpg.de/556225/ute-h...

Ute Hellmich becomes Max Planck Fellow - New research group on Signaling Dynamics

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Are you a master's student who is passionate about insects, smells, and discovery? We are offering a hands-on master's thesis project studying how flies respond to complex odors in nature, and you could join the research team! Apply now: jobs.ice.mpg.de/jobposting/2...

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 · 6mo ago

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...

We congratulate Prof. Wilhelm Boland on receiving the Xience Award 2026! 👏 In recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and long-standing support, the Leibniz-HKI has presented the second Xience award to the chemist from @mpi-ce.bsky.social. 👉 More: www.leibniz-hki.de/en/press-rel...

Happy to announce that Anh Hai Vu from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social has successfully defended her PhD thesis on "Understanding plant natural product biosynthesis using single-cell mass spectrometry"! Congratulations to her and her supervisors Sarah O'Connor and Lorenzo Caputi!

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...

Ant larvae control parental care by using odor signals

In 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 ...

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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...

Millions-of-years-old insect symbioses are surprisingly fragile

Many 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...

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We are very proud: Julio Antonio Otárola Jiménez successfully defended his PhD thesis today! His research topic was "From Courtship to Egg-Laying: How Chemical Cues and Experience Shape Reproductive Strategies in Drosophila melanogaster". Congratulations, Julio!

In this Nature podcast, our director, Sarah O'Connor from the @oconnorlab.bsky.social, explains how she and her team solved the mystery of quinine biosynthesis. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeN8...

Botanical mystery solved: how plants make a crucial malaria drug

YouTube video by Nature Podcast

youtube.com

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...

Mystery of quinine biosynthesis solved

For 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...

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On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science we feature 6 amazing women — @mariferrarini.bsky.social, Shristee Panthee, Sonja Bisch-Knaden, @yukoulrich.bsky.social, Xinyi Cheng and @shabmohammadi.bsky.social. Their statements inspire a more inclusive future for women in science.

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...

Air pollution causes social instability in ant colonies

A 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 ...

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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...

Plant diversity shapes chemical communication in ecosystems

Researchers 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 ...

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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

Fungus turns bark beetles’ defenses against them

Spruce 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...

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The new PULS/CE is out! Topics: Science depends on trust A recipe from two eras Pseudoenzyme controls indole production Plus: An inspiring interview with @shabmohammadi.bsky.social on her life as a researcher and mother, and how science has always been her dream. www.ice.mpg.de/257126/newsl...

Newsletter PULS/CE

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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...

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...

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