January 2018
Lygaeinae store plant toxins to protect themselves against predators
At the JLU insect biotechnology department (Research Group Petschenka), toxic plant substances are extracted from dried museum specimens by non-destructive methods. This way, up to 100 year old specimens can be used to examine insect species' ecology without losing the valuable specimens. In addition, museum collections represent a rich resource for bioactive natural substances.
For more information:
Dr. Georg Petschenka, Emmy Noether research group leader
Insektenbiotechnologie
Tel. +49 641 99 37603
www.plant-insect-adaptations.com