Jena (05.05.2026). The biochemist Prof. Dr. Ute Hellmich from Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena was awarded a fellowship by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. In the coming five years, she will lead her own research group at the Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie in addition to her professorship.
- Award: Max-Planck-Fellowship
- Recipient: Prof. Dr. Ute Hellmich (Professorship for Biostructural Interactions, FSU Jena)
- New Research Group: „Molecular Signal Dynamics“
- Research Focus: Temperature perception of insects
- Funding Period: Five years
- Location: Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie, Jena
Bridging the gap between university and Max-Planck-Institut
The appointment as a Max-Planck-Fellow enables Ute Hellmich to link her university research with the resources of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. Since 2021, she has held the Professorship for Biostructural Interactions at the Institut für Organische Chemie und Makromolekulare Chemie. Furthermore, she conducts research within the Excellence Cluster „Balance of the Microverse“ at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. Her previous academic focus has been on investigating how cells respond to various environmental stimuli, including osmotic stress or sudden temperature changes.
How insects react to climatic changes
As a Max-Planck-Fellow, she will immediately take over the leadership of the newly created working group „Molecular Signal Dynamics“ at the Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie. A central focus of this research group will be the temperature perception of insects. The molecular decoding of these processes is considered key to understanding how animals adapt to different and changing climate zones. Furthermore, the scientists hope to gain insights into how these temperature adaptations influence the interaction of insects with various pathogens.
Background: Networked research in Jena
The Max-Planck-Institut für chemische Ökologie is located on the Beutenberg-Campus in the south of Jena. This science campus bundles numerous non-university research institutions and natural science institutes of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität. The close institutional integration, promoted by programs such as the Max-Planck-Fellowship, is intended to strengthen the transfer of knowledge between university teaching and highly specialized basic research. The also mentioned Excellence Cluster „Balance of the Microverse“ researches complex microbial networks that are decisive for the global health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment.
Source:
Hellmich wird Max-Planck-Fellow
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