Organisms on our planet face growing challenges as their environment warms and undergoes chemical changes due to climate change, a process that can be further exacerbated by anthropogenic substances. Recent research shows that these multiple stressors affect not only the growth and reproduction of organisms but also their chemical communication. However, these factors do not act in isolation; they influence organisms within their natural context, which can be highly variable. Better understanding the potential resilience of living organisms and their mechanisms for coping with these conditions is crucial for better understanding and predicting future human impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Dynamic Ecological Chemistry
The challenges of climate change
Welcome to the Dynamic Ecological Chemistry Group
The Dynamic Ecological Chemistry group investigates the effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental factors on the interactions and processes of organisms mediated by metabolites or chemical signals. Our goal is to understand which aspects of communication and interaction are affected by abiotic factors (with a focus on temperature, pH, and oxygen) and anthropogenic substances, and what strategies organisms employ to compensate for these effects. In doing so, we integrate aspects across different timescales: chemical effects on the picosecond scale, molecular biological and ecological responses ranging from milliseconds to daily rhythms and years, up to long-term climate change effects. Our specific focus is on the direct environmental effects on natural and anthropogenic substances and the associated processes.
Contact
Dr. Christina Roggatz
BIOM 3790
James-Watt-Str. 1
28359 Bremen
+49 (0)421 218 56658
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Funding
We thank the Volkswagen Stiftung and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for financial support.
© Volkswagen Stiftung
© DFG