Chemical Ecology

The group of Chemical Ecology focuses on discovering infochemical pathways that govern interactions between organisms from different trophic levels. Using a multi-disciplinary approach, we identify and characterize how plant chemistry modulates the interactions between plants, herbivores and their natural enemies belowground. We further investigate how climate change will drive these interactions in the coming decades. Finally, we assess the impact of plant chemistry onto physiological processes of larger herbivores: mice and human. The ultimate goal of our work is to provide fundamental knowledge that helps develop sustainable strategies for current societal challenges, such as food security, climate change, and human health.

• Soil chemistry determines whether defensive plant secondary metabolites promote or suppress herbivore growth
  Hu, Lingfei; Wu, Zhenwei; Robert, Christelle A. M.; Ouyang, Xiao; Zust, Tobias; Mestrot, Adrien; Xu, Jianming; Erb, Matthias
  Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 10.1073/pnas.2109602118 OCT 26 2021

• A beta-glucosidase of an insect herbivore determines both toxicity and deterrence of a dandelion defense metabolite
  Huber, Meret; Roder, Thomas; Irmisch, Sandra; Riedel, Alexander; Gablenz, Saskia; et al.
  Elife 10.7554/eLife.68642 OCT 11 2021

• Marasmius oreades agglutinin enhances resistance of Arabidopsis against plant-parasitic nematodes and a herbivorous insect
  Moradi, Aboubakr; Austerlitz, Tina; Dahlin, Paul; Robert, Christelle Am; Maurer, Corina; Steinauer, Katja; van Doan, Cong; Himmighofen, Paul Anton; Wieczorek, Krzysztof; Kuenzler, Markus; Mauch, Felix
  Bmc Plant Biology 10.1186/s12870-021-03186-0  SEP 1 2021

• Using plant chemistry to improve interactions between plants, herbivores and their natural enemies: challenges and opportunities
  Erb, Matthias; Zuest, Tobias; Robert, Christelle Aurelie Maud
  Current Opinion In Biotechnology 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.011 AUG 2021

• Climate Change Modulates Multitrophic Interactions Between Maize, A Root Herbivore, and Its Enemies
  Guyer, Anouk; van Doan, Cong; Maurer, Corina; Machado, Ricardo A. R.; Mateo, Pierre; Steinauer, Katja; Kesner, Luci; Hoch, Guenter; Kahmen, Ansgar; Erb, Matthias; Robert, Christelle A. M.
  Journal Of Chemical Ecology, 10.1007/s10886-021-01303-9, NOV 2021

• Herbivore-induced plant volatiles mediate defense regulation in maize leaves but not in maize roots
  van Doan, Cong; Zust, Tobias; Maurer, Corina; Zhang, Xi; Machado, Ricardo A. R.; et al.
  Plant Cell And Environment 10.1111/pce.14052  Early Access: APR 2021

• Natural enemies of herbivores maintain their biological control potential under short-term exposure to future CO2, temperature, and precipitation patterns
  van Doan, Cong; Pfander, Marc; Guyer, Anouk S.; Zhang, Xi; Maurer, Corina; et al.
  Ecology And Evolution    10.1002/ece3.7314   MAY 2021

• Western Corn Rootworm, Plant and Microbe Interactions: A Review and Prospects for New Management Tools
  Paddock, Kyle J.; Robert, Christelle A. M.; Erb, Matthias; Hibbard, Bruce E.
  Insects,   10.3390/insects12020171  FEB 2021

• The plant metabolome guides fitness-relevant foraging decisions of a specialist herbivore
  Machado, Ricardo A. R.; Theepan, Vanitha; Robert, Christelle A. M.; Zust, Tobias; Hu, Lingfei; Su, Qi; Schimmel, Bernardus C. J.; Erb, Matthias
  PLOS BIOLOGY 19(2) Article Number: e3001114, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001114   FEB 2021

• Volatile-mediated defence regulation occurs in maize leaves but not in maize root
  van Doan, Cong; Zust, Tobias; Maurer, Corina; Zhang, Xi; Machado, Ricardo A. R.; Mateo, Pierre); Ye, Meng; Schimmel, Bernardus C. J.; Glauser, Gaetan; Robert, Christelle A. M
  Plant Cell And Environment  DOI: 10.1111/pce.13919  OCT 2020

• Entomopathogenic nematodes from Mexico that can overcome the resistance mechanisms of the western corn rootworm
  Bruno, Pamela; Machado, Ricardo A. R.; Glauser, Gaetan; Kohler, Angela; Campos-Herrera, Raquel; Bernal, Julio; Toepfer, Stefan; Erb, Matthias; Robert, Christelle A. M; Arce, Carla C. M.; Turlings, Ted
  Scientific Reports 10(1), 10.1038/s41598-020-64945-x May 2020

• ZEITLUPE facilitates the rhythmic movements of Nicotiana attenuata flowers
  Llorca, LC; Li, R; Yon, F; Schafer, M; Halitschke, R; Robert, CAM; Kim, SG; Baldwin, IT
  PLANT JOURNAL 103(1): 308-322, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/tpj.14732   JUL 2020

• Adapted dandelions trade dispersal for germination upon root herbivore attack
  Bont, Zoe; Pfander, Marc; Robert, Christelle A. M.; Huber, Meret; Poelman, Erik H.; et al.
  Proceedings Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences 287(1921) DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2930 FEB 26 2020

• Engineering bacterial symbionts of nematodes improves biocontrol potential of the western corn rootworm (Feb, 10.1038/s41587-020-0419-1, 2020)
  Machado, RAR; Thonen, L; Arce, CCM; Theepan, V; Prada, F; Wuthrich, D; Robert, CAM; Vogiatzaki, E; Shi, YM; Schaeren, OP; Notter, M; Bruggmann, R; Hapfelmeier, S; Bode, HB; Erb, M
  NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY,  DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0478-3, MAR 2020

• Engineering bacterial symbionts of nematodes improves biocontrol potential of the western corn rootworm
  Machado, RAR; Thonen, L; Arce, CCM; Theepan, V; Prada, F; Wuthrich, D; Robert, CAM; Vogiatzaki, E; Shi, YM; Schaeren, OP; Notter, M; Bruggmann, R; Hapfelmeier, S; Bode, HB; Erb, M
  NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY, DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0419-1, FEB 2020

• Impact of Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Variation in Root Defense Metabolites on Herbivore Preference in Taraxacum officinale
  Huang, Wei; Bont, Zoe; Herve, Maxime R.; Robert, Christelle A. M.; Erb, Matthias
  Journal Of Chemical Ecology 46(1): 63-75 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-019-01126-9  JAN 2020

• Chemically-mediated multi-trophic interactions
• Metabolization of plant secondary metabolites by herbivores
• Trophic cascades under climate change
• Plant-derived diet and human health

• Organic and analytical chemistry
• Molecular biology
• Microbiology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Medicine
• Psychiatry