Welcome to the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
We investigate how organisms interact with chemical signals.
We do research in the lab to better understand interactions at a molecular level.
Photo: Anna Schroll
We do research in the glasshouse and in the field to better understand interactions and signals in their natural environment.
Photo: Anna Schroll
We support the Initiative “Weltoffenes Thüringen”.
We are committed to ensuring that people from different backgrounds live and work together in a respectful manner.
Training and international collaborations are key features of our work.
We believe diversity and inclusion leads to the best science.
Research News
Current News and Announcements
Experimental infections with a honey bee virus induce fitness costs in ant colonies. Biology Letters 22 (4), 20250779 (2026)
Small RNAs as systemic signals in plant defense: mechanisms, challenges, and future directions. Molecular Biology Reports 53, 623 (2026)
Ecological drivers of microbiota diversity in the pharmacophagous turnip sawfly. Environmental Microbiology 28 (4), e70309 (2026)
The former Max Planck director is honored with the Leibniz-HKI's highest award for his groundbreaking scientific achievements and longstanding support of natural product research.
Postdoctoral researcher honored for breakthrough research on plant-based medicines
As part of the “Noble Gespräche” lecture series, the chairman of the board of Beutenberg Campus Jena e.V., Prof. Dr. Christoph Englert, awarded the first honorary memberships to Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Boland and Prof. Dr. Hartmut Bartelt on October 23, 2025, at the Abbe Center Beutenberg.