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
An auxiliary protein tunes reductase activity in alkaloid biosynthesis. bioRxiv: the preprint server for biology (2026)
Specific and multi-product clade I and clade IV sesquiterpene synthases contribute to the Psilocybe cubensis volatilome. ChemBioChem: A European Journal of Chemical Biology 27 (8), e70318 (2026)
Genetic variation in chemical defence affects protection of an herbivorous insect against predation. Molecular Ecology (accepted)
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.
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