Entomologists play matchmakers for cerambycid beetles Aug 6, 2008
"Before our project, little was known about the chemical ecology of cerambycid beetles or their use of attractant pheromones, and the pheromones of only a few species had been identified," Millar said. "Our longer-term goals are to gain a better understanding of which subfamilies, tribes, and genera are likely to use pheromones, and, within those groups, to determine the types of chemicals that are used as pheromones. This will allow us to predict whether new invaders are likely to use... (EurekAlert!)
No Scent, No Sex For The Japanese Beetle Jun 27, 2008
That s the gist behind chemical ecology research at the University of California, Davis to appear this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. UC Davis chemical ecologists, led by Walter Leal, have isolated, identified, cloned and expressed a pheromone-degrading enzyme in the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) that could lead to important applications in controlling the invasive pest that has threatened U.S. agriculture since 1916. (Science Daily)
Fly Is At Home On A Crab, With New Evolutionary Neighbors Apr 15, 2008
14, 2008) Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, have rediscovered Drosophila endobranchia, a fly living in the mouth of land crabs ... In January 2007, scientists from Bill Hansson's group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Germany, managed to relocate these elusive flies on Grand Cayman in the Caribbean (the sole known home of this species), where small fragmented populations still persist in the few remaining patches of suitable habitats ...... (Science Daily)
Is there a doctor in the house? Mar 6, 2008
To obey the law, I must refer to myself as Ian Baldwin, PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca (NY), says Dr Ian Baldwin Ian Baldwin, PhD, Cornell University, Ithaca (NY), a director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology who was charged in January. Someone should make sure and warn holidaying Italians. (Nature News Service)
Researcher wins Wolf Award Jan 18, 2008
Tumlinson, the director for the university's Center for Chemical Ecology, won the Wolf Award with his co-researcher from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, W. Joe Lewis, for his research involving plant-insect interaction and pest management. Tumlinson is only the second Penn State individual to win the award. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Body weight influenced by thousands of genes Jan 15, 2008
" ### Maureen P. Lawler also contributed to the study. The Monell Chemical Senses Center is a nonprofit basic research institute based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For 40 years, Monell has been the nations leading research center focused on understanding the senses of smell, taste and chemical irritation: how they function and affect lives from before birth through old age. Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and... (EurekAlert!)
Insect Gut Detects Unhealthy Meal Dec 29, 2007
Study authors Dalial Freitak, David Heckel and Heiko Vogel from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany along with Christopher Wheat from the University of Helsinki, Finland, deliberately fed insects with non-infectious microorganisms. The researchers watched to see how the herbivorous insect, the cabbage semilooper Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera), detected and responded to a diet laced with nonpathogenic, non-infectious bacteria. (Science Daily)
Smell Experience Early In Life Alters Brain Dec 6, 2007
"During this critical period, the olfactory system is flexible enough to calibrate its genetic map to its local environment," says first author Silke Sachse, a former postdoc in the Vosshall lab who is now a group leader in optical imaging at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. "But once that window closes, the circuit is no longer plastic.". (Science Daily)
Invasive Plant Dissolves Competitors With Acid Oct 19, 2007
The study is detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Chemical Ecology. Marsh health. (Fox News)
Alien plant kills U.S. enemies with acid Oct 19, 2007
The study is detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Chemical Ecology. Marsh health As the invasive reed pulls the foundation from beneath marshlands in the United States, the scientists say it has greatly altered marsh ecology. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Invasive Plant Secretes Acid To Kill Nearby Plants And Spread Oct 16, 2007
The results of the research are reported in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. Bais is an expert on allelopathy, in which one plant produces a chemical to inhibit the growth of another plant. (Science Daily)
Surprise In The Organic Orchard -- A Healthier Worm In The Apple Oct 2, 2007
The discovery was reported by a team of insect virologists and geneticists from the Agricultural Service Centre of Rhineland-Palatinate (DLR Rheinpfalz), the German Federal Biological Research Centre (BBA Darmstadt), the University of Hohenheim, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (MPICE Jena). Starting in 2005, codling moths collected from 13 organic orchards in southwest Germany were tested in the laboratory to confirm that the insects could tolerate granulovirus amounts more... (Science Daily)
OSU scientists say bugs could have helped doom dinosaurs Sep 11, 2007
" George Poinar said bugs likely were just one factor. Climate change, ocean regressions and volcanic activity may have contributed, he said. Even 100 million years ago, bugs were pests. Poinar studied bugs trapped in amber that bore diseases and even pathogens from cold-blooded vertebrates, some of them probably dinosaurs, he said. He said insects also would have competed for the same plant food and led to the rise of flowering plants, which pushed aside species such as ferns that some... (KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8, OR)
Could insects have devastated dinosaurs? Sep 7, 2007
The findings were just published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. We re investigating the ancient life, what the ancient ecosystem was like, by looking at various bugs and flowers from various parts of the world, Poinar said. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Bugs used chemical warfare during dino era Sep 6, 2007
In their findings, published in the August issue of the Journal of Chemical Ecology, the researchers concluded that the insect was most likely a member of an extinct soldier beetle species which was an ancestor to modern soldier beetles that pack. Click for related content. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Nicotine in breast milk disrupts infants' sleep patterns Sep 4, 2007
Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and molecular biology, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and appetite, health and well being, and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, visit. (EurekAlert!)
Transgenic maize is more susceptible to aphids Aug 30, 2007
The environmental consequences of transgenic crops are the focus of numerous investigations, such as the one published in the journal PloS ONE, which was carried out by Cristina Faria and her colleagues, under the supervision of Ted Turlings, professor in chemical ecology at the University of Neuchtel. The researchers observed that most transgenic maize lines were significantly more susceptible to the aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis than their conventional equivalents. (EurekAlert!)
Amber specimen captures ancient chemical battle Aug 30, 2007
The findings were just published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. The chance of these circumstances all coming together at the exact right second was pretty slim, said George Poinar, Jr., a courtesy professor of zoology at OSU and one of the worlds leading experts on distant life forms preserved in amber. (EurekAlert!)
Sour taste make you pucker? It may be in your genes Jul 12, 2007
Using a multidisciplinary approach, scientists collaborate in the areas of: sensation and perception, neuroscience and molecular biology, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and appetite, health and well being, and chemical ecology and communication. For more information about Monell, please visit. (EurekAlert!)
Arsenic and Old Waste: Georgias Toxic Troubles Jun 23, 2007
Professor Avtandil V. Dolidze, the chemical ecology laboratory chief at the Petre Melikishvili Institute of Physical and Organic Chemistry in Tbilisi, referred to the area surrounding the dumps as "dead." The fact that the waste is "laying open under the stars" means that it presents a real threat for the rest of the country, as well, he added, through ground water seepage to the river system. "This is the biggest problem," Dolidze said. (EurasiaNet.org)
Beetles' Attack On Bee Hives May Contribute To Colony Collapse Disorder May 18, 2007
"It is possible that bees are being habituated to a low level of alarm hormone," says James H. Tumlinson, the Ralph O. Mumma Professor of Entomology and director of the Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology. While small hive beetles are common in Africa and pose little threat to African honeybee hives, it appears that domesticated European honeybees have a much harder time containing the beetles in their hives. (Science Daily)
Noted Neurobiologist to Speak at Entomology Seminar Davis, May. 02 May 4, 2007
Last year he received a lifetime achievement award from the American Psychological Association Diversity Program in Neuroscience, and the Silver Medal from the International Society for Chemical Ecology. He also will deliver a noon-hour seminar on "Explorations of a Simple Olfactory System" on Wednesday, May 16 in 122 Briggs Hall. (University of California Newswire, CA)
Alumnus follows his interest to the top of his field Apr 8, 2007
Alum follows interest in chemical ecology to the top of his field ... As director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, Jonathan Gershenzon is still pursuing some of the same ideas that first fascinated him as an undergraduate at UCSC in the 1970s ... Langenheim, a pioneer in the field of chemical ecology, advised Gershenzon on his senior thesis and was especially influential. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
Legacy of Excellence Between UC Davis and the University of British Columbia Davis, Mar. 19 Mar 20, 2007
He joined the UC Davis faculty in 1976, and like Leal, focused on chemical ecology. . (University of California Newswire, CA)
Scientists Find Genes Involved In The Battle Between Hessian Flies And Wheat Mar 15, 2007
Wheat has ways to battle the tiny, red wormlike insects that nibble on the plant's leaves and can destroy crops worldwide, but the Hessian fly larvae that survive eventually evolve methods to overcome plant defenses. No larger than a pencil point, this shaft of wheat grown in a Purdue greenhouse is infested with Hessian fly larvae. (Science Daily)
Nectar is not a simple soft drink Feb 28, 2007
Scientists Danny Kessler and Ian Baldwin from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, recently addressed the question, why would plants risk poisoning the insects and birds that provide pollination services. Their findings have been published in The Plant Journal. (EurekAlert!)
Snaking Ahead Feb 14, 2007
"Natural selection can be particularly powerful in these life-or-death struggles," says Williams, who reported her findings in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. After observing the snakes on the islet of Ishima, Hutchinson's team turned its attention to the islet of Kinkazan. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
The Floral Network: What Determines Who Pollinates Whom? Jan 24, 2007
(July 6, 2004) -- Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, gained new insights into the fundamentals of chemical signaling within the plant after herbivore attack and in doing so. . (Science Daily)
Bioprospecting not biopiracy Dec 8, 2006
Phyllis Coley and Tom Kursar, University of Utah, studied basic chemical ecology of plants at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's station on Barro Colorado Island in Panama: "We were alarmed by the lack of conservation strategies that provide immediate benefits for people living in high biodiversity regions," explains Kursar, who sought funding for this project, called the International Cooperative Biodiversity Groups (ICBG) from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the National... (EurekAlert!)
Poison Frogs Losing Their Toxicity, Study Suggests Nov 8, 2006
She and colleagues reported the finding last month in the Journal of Chemical Ecology. The team says future studies need to address the question of whether frogs require a certain number of alkaloids in their skin to maintain their toxicity. (National Geographic)
Fruit Flies Tricked Into Thinking That Silkworm Moths Are Potential Mates Oct 31, 2006
Leal specializes in the identification and synthesis of insect sex pheromones and the chemical ecology and chemical communication of insects and potential applications for pest control. Kimbrell, an associate research geneticist in the Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Sciences, is an expert on fruit flies. (Science Daily)
Researchers Decipher Eggplant Pest's Chemical Call Oct 19, 2006
--Zilkowski will describe the research in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Chemical Ecology. In host-feeding studies at the center's Crops Bioprotection Research Unit, Zilkowski and research colleagues identified six volatile compounds that male E. fuscula beetles emit while feeding on eggplant leaves. (Science Daily)
California Academy of Sciences honors botanist Jean Langenheim Sep 17, 2006
A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Langenheim has served as the president of the Association for Tropical Biology, the Ecological Society of America, the International Society of Chemical Ecology, and the Society for Economic Botany. Langenheim joined the UCSC faculty in 1966. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
Botanical Society of America honors Jean Langenheim Sep 11, 2006
An eminent plant ecologist and leading authority on plant resins, Langenheim has served as the president of the Association for Tropical Biology, the Ecological Society of America, the International Society of Chemical Ecology, and the Society for Economic Botany. She has studied plant resins and amber (fossilized resin) for more than 40 years, and her 2003 book Plant Resins (Timber Press) is the authoritative reference book on the subject. (US Santa Cruz Currents, CA)
After Insects Attack, Plants Bunker Sugars For Later Regrowth Sep 8, 2006
(Image: Danny Kessler, MPI Chemical Ecology) ... Ian T. Baldwin at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, focus on the defense of plants against attack from herbivores ... (July 6, 2004) -- Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, gained new insights into the fundamentals of chemical signaling within the plant after herbivore attack and in doing so. (Science Daily)
Walter Leal Named Chair of Department of Entomology UCD, Jul. 26 Jul 27, 2006
Walter Leal, a professor of entomology who is internationally known for his research on chemical ecology and how insects detect smells, is the newly appointed chair of the Department of Entomology, effective July 1 ... He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); a past president of the International Society of Chemical Ecology ISCE); and secretary and upcoming chair-elect of Section B--the Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology... (University of California Newswire, CA)
WonderQuest: Can plants shoot the breeze? Why more baby boys? Jul 25, 2006
professor of plant molecular biology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and , founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology point out difficulties. Suppose you are testing whether or not plants communicate with insects. (USA Today -- Tech)
Organizational shifts to strengthen ‘Darwinian’ sciences programs Jul 14, 2006
She studies plant-enemy interactions from the point of view of chemical ecology, ecological genomics and molecular evolution. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Bergelson has received Marshall, National Science Foundation Presidential and Packard scholarships. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Identifies Chemical Structure of Sex Pheromone of Staudinger, Insect Pest for Broad-leaved Tress May 30, 2006
Details of these findings are presented in the online issue of Journal of Chemical Ecology issued on April 26. By , JCN Staff Writer. (JCN Network, Japan)
Sending out an SOS Apr 17, 2006
"The consequences of these smart responses go well beyond entertainment. If scientists could identify the genes responsible for these calls for help, they could perhaps genetically engineer plants -- say, a corn plant -- to send out an insect SOS, saving farmers a fortune on chemical-filled pesticides.When entomologist Ian Baldwin of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, first proposed in 1982 the notion that plants could communicate, fellow scientists scoffed. Today,... (Boston Globe)
Amazon Rainforest Greens Up In The Dry Season Mar 24, 2006
Posted: March 23, 2006. The Amazon rainforest puts on its biggest growth spurt during the dry season, according to new research. (Science Daily)
Plant Cells 'Black Out' When Eaten By Leafworms Mar 21, 2006
This insight is the result of investigations by scientists led by Professor Massimo Maffei of the University of Turin, Italy, and Professor Wilhelm Boland, of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena. The membrane potential drops abruptly; within a short space of time, depolarisation spreads out across the leaf under attack. (Science Daily)
Frog secretions may be used as mosquito repellent. Feb 25, 2006
22/02/2006 - A species of frog, which may hold the key to future mosquito repellents, is set to open up new avenues of lab research into frog chemical ecology as researchers try to come up with alternatives to synthetic repellents. Repellents that are currently available are either synthetic chemicals, such as , or plant derived chemicals such as Citronella. (LabTechnologist.com)
Frog clue to mosquito repellent Feb 23, 2006
Many aspects of frog chemical ecology remain unexplored ... But they said: "The discovery highlights the potential of the unsung properties of amphibian skin. "Many aspects of frog chemical ecology remain unexplored. (BBC News -- Health)
New Possibilities To Fight Pests With Biological Means Jan 19, 2006
A genetic mechanism that enables corn plants to "cry for help" and attract beneficial insects has been clarified by scientists from the University of Neuch tel, Switzerland and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena. Corn plants emit a cocktail of scents when they are attacked by certain pests, such as a caterpillar known as the Egyptian cotton leaf worm. (Science Daily)
