Chemistry plays a key role in mediating diverse ecological interactions among species, with important implications for agriculture, human health, and environmental sustainability. Our research program explores the ways in which chemical cues and signals mediate interactions among plants, insects, and microbes, with a primary focus on volatile chemistry and olfaction.
Key areas of interest include: (i) chemical mediation of tri-trophic interactions among plants, insect herbivores, and the herbivore's natural enemies; (ii) pathogen effects on host plant chemistry and implications for host-vector interactions and disease transmission; (iii) the influence of plant-associated microbes on plant interactions; and (iv) factors influencing inter-individual variation in plant chemistry and the evolution of plant signaling phenotypes.
Prof. Dr. Consuelo De Moraes
ETH Zurich
Institute of Agricultural Sciences
8092 Zurich
Tel: +41 (0)44 632 39 20