Chemical Ecology and Chemosystematics

Chemical Ecology deals with the chemical interactions among organisms, and includes topics such as communication and defense by pheromones and allomones but also the search for novel biologically active natural products such as antibiotics or cell-active substances.

The exploratory focus of the Chemical Ecology in Graz lies on the defence glands of both oribatid mites and harvestmen. Apart from phylogenetic studies using morphometric, histological, and chemical data, the biological properties and functions of secretions are examined. Various methodical approaches are used to work on the different objectives:

• Chemical analysis (GC-MS)
• Chemical synthesis
• Histological techniques and 3D-Reconstruction
• Scanning electron microscopy
• Bioassays
• Microbiological methods

However, our research interests aren’t only dedicated to basic research, but also to applied biotechnological approaches to crack semiochemical-based information cues of insect pests and the potential application of semiochemicals in integrated pest management (e.g. chest-nut leafminer Cameraria ohridella).