Chemical Ecology At NCBS
Chemistry underpins an amazing diversity of interactions among organisms, ranging from bacterial communication to elephant social behaviour. Chemical ecology examines the role of chemical interactions between living organisms and their environment, as well as the consequences of those interactions on the ethology and evolution of the organisms involved. Apart from offering powerful insights into biological processes, chemical ecology also provides ecology-based applications for agricultural, manufacturing and medical industries, such as protecting crops from pests and preventing the spread of disease.
The National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) has traditionally been strong in biochemistry, biophysics, behavioral neuroscience, and ecology and evolution. NCBS now integrates these strengths into the multidisciplinary biological research of chemical ecology. This research focus leverages the remarkable biodiversity in India with recently developed scientific technologies and analytical methods available at NCBS and partnering institutions.