The Cornell Institute for Research in Chemical Ecology explores chemical interaction of organisms.



The Vision

The Cornell Institute for Research in Chemical Ecology (CIRCE) is committed to a unique program of research and training in a group of scientifically exciting areas that encompass chemistry and ecology. Chemical ecology deals with the chemical interactions of organisms, interactions that are pervasive at all levels of biological organization, from microbes to humans, and operate in the most diverse biological contexts. Organisms find food and seek out mates on the basis of chemicals, repel their enemies with chemicals, and fend off disease through the use of chemicals. Characterizing the molecules involved, and understanding how they function in nature is fundamental to the understanding of life itself.

Cornell has been a world leader in chemical ecology, bringing the field into focus, and training many of the outstanding practitioners of the discipline. Basic research into the ways organisms interact chemically is a primary goal of CIRCE.

In its commitment to advance the frontiers of basic science, CIRCE will also create new opportunities to sustain and utilize nature's biodiversity. Members of the scientific advisory team share a sense of urgency about the need to conserve biodiversity. They also share a commitment to the feasibility of making conservation economically attractive. Part of this initiative depends on the discovery of potentially useful chemical leads for new medicines, agricultural chemicals, fragrances, and insect repellents among the largely unstudied species in tropical forests. If such leads were developed commercially and a fair share of the profits returned to the country providing the species used, conservation could become remunerative and sustainable.

International Outreach

A working relationship has been established between CIRCE and the National Biodiversity Institute (INBIO) in Costa Rica. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundation provided a major grant to initiate that effort, which involved chemical prospecting and collaborative research programs. Merck and Co., Inc. committed $1 million to two years of a cooperative effort with INBIO to identify insects, plants, and microorganisms with potential pharmaceutical value.

The CIRCE/INBIO cooperative project in Costa Rica will serve as a model for the mutually beneficial utilization of naturešs biodiversity. Active collaboration has also begun with scientists at the Silliman Marine Laboratory in the Philippines. Other initiatives with scientists in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil, China, and Japan are now being developed.

Educational Programs

To increase the range of expertise already available at Cornell, CIRCE plans to establish two endowed professorships, one in chemistry and one in biology. Research training will range from a new upper level undergraduate course in chemical ecology to full graduate and postdoctoral programs. These offerings will be administered within the existing departmental structures.

Training for students and faculty members from countries with tropical forests and marine resources is a priority. Those interested may enter existing degree programs, but the intent is to offer training at any point in a career through three-month programs tailored to the individual's needs. New courses will be offered both in the field and in academic settings to introduce students to the function of chemicals in nature.

Cornell is unique among Ivy League Universities in its holdings of natural preserves committed to education and research. These include the Shoals Laboratory off the coast of Maine, as well as Arnot Forest and the Cornell Plantations in upstate New York. A close working relationship exists between Cornell and the Archbold Biological Station, a 15,000 acre field site in central Florida.

Under the auspices of CIRCE, Cornell University Press is publishing a new series of books, Explorations in Chemical Ecology. Initial titles include Invertebrate Microbial Interactions, dealing with the biochemical interactions between ants and fungi, and Marine Chemical Ecology, which examines the ecological role of marine natural products.

Industrial Programs

After discovering potentially valuable natural substances, CIRCE will enlist industrial support and scientific collaboration to transform discoveries into marketable products. A small consortium of industrial partners will work closely with the scientists in CIRCE and in the countries from which natural products are gathered.

CIRCE offers a unique program of research and training in a group of interdisciplinary areas spanning chemistry and ecology. Such a program will need support in a variety of areas. These needs include stipends for travel, housing, and living expenses of Third World students receiving research training at Cornell and for Cornell students at remote sites. Funds will also be needed for curricular development, to furnish and equip laboratories, and to sponsor conferences and training sessions.

Members of the U.S. Scientific Advisory Team:

Jon Clardy, Horace White Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Thomas Eisner, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Biology
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior

C. Drew Harvell, Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Jerrold Meinwald, Goldwin Smith Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Wendell Roelofs, Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor of Insect Biochemistry
Department of Entomology of Cornell University in Geneva, NY

Foreign Member

Ian Baldwin, Director
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Jena, Germany

For further information contact:
CIRCE
W347 Seeley G. Mudd Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853-5601

Telephone: 607-255-4464
Fax: 607-255-6186
e-mail: te14@cornell.edu

Janis Strope, Web Designer.