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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

YouTube video by Nature Podcast

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...