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...

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...

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 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.

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...

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...

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!

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...

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...

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.

@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 3/3

🤓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...

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...

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! 👏 🎓 💐

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

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...

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...

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 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...

Our director Sarah O'Connor, head of the Department of Natural Product Biosynthesis @oconnorlab.bsky.social, has has been elected a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, the #Leopoldina! Congratulations! 👏 www.ice.mpg.de/492460/sarah...

We are excited about our new call for applications - we offer 8 cool projects and 5 doctoral positions in Chemical Ecology! Have a look at the projects and apply! www.ice.mpg.de/296576/adver... jobs.ice.mpg.de/en/jobpostin...

We offer a PhD project within our International Max Planck Research School "Chemical Communication in Ecological Systems" on "Metabolic exchanges, regulation and equilibrium of an ancient insect symbiosis" (Project 5). Please share, inform & apply here: www.ice.mpg.de/129183/imprs