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
Fungi associated with Norway spruce and its bark beetles detoxify spruce defense compounds by conjugation to alpha-ribose. The ISME Journal (accepted)
Different effects of induced plant defense on population densities of specialist and generalist insects: An explanation by mathematical modeling. Ecology and Evolution 16 (9), e74235 (2026)
Carnivorous Plants. In: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (eLS). Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, New Jersey (accepted)
Nature is flourishing on the Beutenberg Campus in Jena! Since 2024, the research institutes have focused on mowing less frequently, rotating mowing areas, and preserving untouched refuges. These changes have created a diverse habitat that benefits people, plants, and animals alike.
Matilde Florean honored with prestigious Otto Hahn Medal for groundbreaking work on plant natural product evolution.
Starting May 1, the biochemist and professor of Biostructural Interactions at Friedrich Schiller University Jena will also lead a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology.