| |
CHEMICAL ECOLOGY GROUP | |
Research
Topics
Equipment 
The Research Group 
Publications 
The group is jointly led by David Morgan (e.d.morgan@chem.keele.ac.uk) and Graeme Jones (g.r.jones@chem.keele.ac.uk) and currently consists of one research student, two part-time research students at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Roland Maile and Dr. Harald Jungnickel (h.jungnickel@chem.keele.ac.uk), TMR Postdoctoral Fellows.
Prof. Dr. E. D. Morgan 
Dr. H.
Jungnickel
Dr. G. R. Jones
The group has expertise in the analysis,
isolation and synthesis of natural products from insects and
plants and the synthesis of Molecular Imprinted Polymers. The
Laboratory is equipped with two gas- chromatography - mass
spectrometers (GC-MS) which are capable of Electron Impact
ionisation and Chemical Ionisation. In addition there are
analytical and preparative HPLC and an analytical supercritical
fluid chromatography (SFC) system which has both UV and
evaporative Light Scattering Detectors. For synthesis there is
modern inert atmosphere equipment and vacuum lines for polymer
synthesis housed in newly refurbished laboratories. This is
supported by departmental FT-IR and 300MHz NMR facilities.
 |
 |
| |
The work is focused upon, the identification of insect pheromones, understanding the behaviour of social insects and developing more environmentally friendly methods of insect pest control. The group welcomes any new collaborations (g.r.jones@keele.ac.uk).
The group is involved in a large collaborative project with groups at the Universities of Aarhus, Florence, Sheffield, Uppsala, Wurzburg and the ETH in Zurich, funded by an EU Training and Mobility grant. This is studying the Social Evolution of Insects and involves the analysis of the chemical signatures of individual insects using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry techniques developed here at Keele.
Click the picture for further information!
The group is currently engaged in a project to prepare a library of the hydrocarbons commonly found on insect cuticles. These will be available for biologists to use in bioassays studies of recognition processes. This involves developing methodology for the enantioselective synthesis of methyl and dimethyl branched alkanes and using Wittig chemistry to produce pure Z alkenes.
In collaboration with Dr. G. Hamilton, a co-member
of the Keele Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology we
are also developing a synthetic route towards the
homosesquiterpene 3-methyl-a- himachalene, the male sex pheromone
of the sandfly Lutzomyia longipalpis, vector of the protozoan
parasite Leishmania chagasi, and cause of visceral leishaniasis.
 |
 |
| 9-methyl-a-himalachene (identified as male sex pheromone of Lutzomyia longipalpis) |
A British Council funded project together with the University of Alagoas, Maceio, Brazil is engaged in the identification and synthesis of insect pheromones from economically important fruit pests.
Together with Dr. T.
Grasswitz at Harper Adams Agricultural College we are studying
the chemical recognition processes used by wasp parasites and
hyperparasites to locate their aphid hosts.
Click the aphid for more information!
The development of analytical and extractive techniques for the isolation of the natural insect antifeedant and growth regulator Azadirachtin (and other bio-active compounds) from tissue cultures of Neem cells, using supercritical fluid chromatography, supercritical fluid extraction and novel molecular imprinted polymers. The group is a member of the British Neem Group.
Chemical
Ecology of Azadirachta indica, the "Neem
Tree"
 |
 |
 |
 |
AZADIRACHTIN Azadirachtin is the most
potent natural insect antifeedant and growth regulator, which was
first isolated from the Neem tree (Azadirachta indica)
here at Keele in 1968 by Morgan and Butterworth. Since then the
group has been at the forefront of the development of analytical
and extractive techniques for the isolation of the Neem products
from both natural sources and cell tissue cultures. In recent
years this has centred around the use solid phase extraction
followed by supercritical fluid chromatography for the
simultaneous quantitative analysis of up to twelve Neem
triterpenoids. Attention within the group is now centred upon the
development of novel molecular imprinted polymers for selective
extraction of azadirachtin from triterpenoid mixtures.Increasing
concerns about the environmental impact of synthetic insecticides
mean that interest in Neem product is increasing. The use of Neem
extracts in healthcare products for a variety of medical
conditions is also receiving considerable attention.
The British Neem Group was
founded 5 years ago by a group of UK academics to promote
research into the considerable benefits of Neem products.
Molecular Imprinted Polymers
(MIPs) have found a wide range of applications in chromatography,
solid- phase extraction, sensors and catalysis. They contain
cavities that are capable of recognising a specific molecule -
the template molecule the polymer is imprinted for. In
collaboration with Prof. Ian Wilson at Zeneca Pharmaceuticals,
Alderley Edge we are developing MIPs for the solid phase
extraction of important pharmaceutical drugs from biological
fluids. 
European Union, The Royal Society, Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, The British Council
