Chemical Ecology Group

Components of the chemical ecology of pests (principally pheromones and other semiochemicals) are studied in order to develop new strategies for integrated pest management with minimal environmental impact or hazard, that also limit the development of resistance. Advanced chromatographic, spectroscopic and electrophysiological techniques are employed for semiochemical identification. Field development involves collaborative programmes on the integration of semiochemicals with biological agents and also on exploiting semiochemicals produced by crop and trap-crop plants by studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of secondary metabolism.

Group Members

Current Projects

Recent Publications

The main research areas are:

• Identifying and understanding the role of chemical signals (semiochemicals)
• Semiochemicals mediating interactions with plant feeding (phytophagous) insects
• Semiochemicals mediating interactions with natural enemies of pests (tritrophic interactions)
• Semiochemicals mediating interactions with blood feeding (haematophagous) insects
• Inducing plant defence against pests and diseases with plant activators
• Push-pull habitat manipulation for control of maize stemborers and the witchweed Striga
• A green chemistry approach for obtaining semiochemicals from plants
• Transgenic Arabidopsis plants emitting aphid alarm pheromone
• Identifying the mechanisms behind priming of plant defence