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Forensic Science

Dr Falko Drijfhout

Title: Senior Lecturer in Analytical Chemistry
Phone: (+44) 01782 7 33043
Email:
Location: Lennard-Jones 1.36
Role: Forensic Science Y2 Tutor
Contacting me: Drop in by my office or fix an appointment by email or telephone
Drijfhout_Falko

I obtained my MSc in 1996 from Wageningen University in The Netherlands and went on to obtain my PhD in Analytical Chemistry/Chemical Ecology from the same University in 2001 under the supervision of Prof. Ae. De Groot and Dr. T.A. van Beek entitled: “Studies towards the sex pheromone of the green capsid bug”.

I continued my research in chemical ecology as a post-doctoral researcher at Cornell University in the USA with Prof. N. W. Calderone (between 2001 and 2003) and from 2003 to 2005 at Keele University in the UK with Dr. Graeme Jones. In June 2005 I was appointed as a Lecturer at Keele University.

drijfhout image My research is within the area called chemical ecology, in which chemicals are identified that are involved in all different kinds of behavioural activities in insects. It is very much a hybrid between (analytical) chemistry and entomology.

Currently I work on the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in (nest-mate) recognition systems in ants and other social insects. In addition I investigate the queen egg marking pheromone of the European honeybee, which could be anything from a hydrocarbon to a more complex and larger polar compound. The main technique for identification of these kind of chemicals, such as cuticular hydrocarbons, is gas-chromatography coupled to Mass spectrometry, yet as in the latter project we may deal with a larger polar chemical, we used and will continue to use Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass spectrometry (LC/MS).

These areas below are very important to my research and have my specific interested throughout my research and teaching:

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Chromatographic techniques
  • Hyphenated techniques

I am part of the Chemical Ecology group within the School, member of the Centre for Applied Entomology and Parasitology (CAEP) as well as the Research Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM).

Selected Publications

  • Bonckaert W, Drijfhout FP, d'Ettorre P, Billen J, Wenseleers T. 2012. Hydrocarbon signatures of egg maternity, caste membership and reproductive status in the common wasp. J Chem Ecol, vol. 38(1), 42-51. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Vitikainen E, Drijfhout FP, Jackson D. 2012. Conspecific Ant Aggression is Correlated with Chemical Distance, but not with Genetic or Spatial Distance. Behav Genet, vol. 42(2), 323-331. doi>
  • Helantera H, Lee YR, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. 2011. Genetic diversity, colony chemical phenotype, and nest mate recognition in the ant Formica fusca. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, vol. 22. link> doi>
  • Kather R, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. 2011. Task group differences in cuticular lipids in the honey bee Apis mellifera. J Chem Ecol, vol. 37(2), 205-212. doi>
  • Lommelen E, Wenseleers T, Johnson CA, Drijfhout FP, Billen J, Gobin B. 2010. A Combination of Fertility Signals and Aggression Regulates Reproduction in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula. JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR, vol. 23. link> doi>

Full Publications List show

Journal Articles

  • Bonckaert W, Drijfhout FP, d'Ettorre P, Billen J, Wenseleers T. 2012. Hydrocarbon signatures of egg maternity, caste membership and reproductive status in the common wasp. J Chem Ecol, vol. 38(1), 42-51. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Vitikainen E, Drijfhout FP, Jackson D. 2012. Conspecific Ant Aggression is Correlated with Chemical Distance, but not with Genetic or Spatial Distance. Behav Genet, vol. 42(2), 323-331. doi>
  • Helantera H, Lee YR, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. 2011. Genetic diversity, colony chemical phenotype, and nest mate recognition in the ant Formica fusca. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, vol. 22. link> doi>
  • Kather R, Drijfhout FP, Martin SJ. 2011. Task group differences in cuticular lipids in the honey bee Apis mellifera. J Chem Ecol, vol. 37(2), 205-212. doi>
  • Lommelen E, Wenseleers T, Johnson CA, Drijfhout FP, Billen J, Gobin B. 2010. A Combination of Fertility Signals and Aggression Regulates Reproduction in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula. JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOR, vol. 23. link> doi>
  • Vicente Hernandez J, Rodriguez D, Tarano Z, Drijfhout FP, Sainz-Borgo C. 2010. Are Postpharyngeal or Mandibular Gland Secretions the Source for Nestmate Recognition in Camponotus atriceps (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)?. SOCIOBIOLOGY, vol. 56. link>
  • Nunes TM, Morgan ED, Drijfhout FP, Zucchi R. 2010. Caste-specific cuticular lipids in the stingless bee Friesella schrottkyi. APIDOLOGIE, vol. 41. link> doi>
  • Martin SJ, Carruthers JM, Williams PH, Drijfhout FP. 2010. Host specific social parasites (Psithyrus) indicate chemical recognition system in bumblebees. J Chem Ecol, vol. 36(8), 855-863. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Helanterä H, Drijfhout FP. 2011. Is parasite pressure a driver of chemical cue diversity in ants?. Proc Biol Sci, vol. 278(1705), 496-503. doi>
  • Martin SJ and Drijfhout FP. 2009. How reliable is the analysis of complex cuticular hydrocarbon profiles by multivariate statistical methods?. J Chem Ecol, vol. 35(3), 375-382. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Zhong W, Drijfhout FP. 2009. Long-term stability of hornet cuticular hydrocarbons facilitates chemotaxonomy using museum specimens. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, vol. 96. link> doi>
  • Martin SJ and Drijfhout FP. 2009. Nestmate and task cues are influenced and encoded differently within ant cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. J Chem Ecol, vol. 35(3), 368-374. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Helantera H, Kiss K, Lee YR, Drijfhout FP. 2009. Polygyny reduces rather than increases nestmate discrimination cue diversity in Formica exsecta ants. INSECTES SOCIAUX, vol. 56. link> doi>
  • Martin SJ, Vitikainen E, Helanterä H, Drijfhout FP. 2008. Chemical basis of nest-mate discrimination in the ant Formica exsecta. Proc Biol Sci, vol. 275(1640), 1271-1278. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Helanterä H, Drijfhout FP. 2008. Colony-specific hydrocarbons identify nest mates in two species of Formica ant. J Chem Ecol, vol. 34(8), 1072-1080. doi>
  • Lommelen E, Johnson CA, Drijfhout FP, Billen J, Gobin B. 2008. Egg marking in the facultatively queenless ant Gnamptogenys striatula: the source and mechanism. J Insect Physiol, vol. 54(4), 727-736. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Helanterae H, Drijfhout FP. 2008. Evolution of species-specific cuticular hydrocarbon patterns in Formica ants. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, vol. 95. link> doi>
  • Cremer S, D'Ettorre P, Drijfhout FP, Sledge MF, Turillazzi S, Heinze J. 2008. Imperfect chemical female mimicry in males of the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior. Naturwissenschaften, vol. 95(11), 1101-1105. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Takahashi J, Ono M, Drijfhout FP. 2008. Is the social parasite Vespa dybowskii using chemical transparency to get her eggs accepted?. J Insect Physiol, vol. 54(4), 700-707. doi>
  • Cremer S, Ugelvig LV, Drijfhout FP, Schlick-Steiner BC, Steiner FM, Seifert B, Hughes DP, Schulz A, Petersen KS, Konrad H, Stauffer C, Kiran K, Espadaler X, d'Ettorre P, Aktaç N, Eilenberg J, Jones GR, Nash DR, Pedersen JS, Boomsma JJ. 2008. The evolution of invasiveness in garden ants. PLoS One, vol. 3(12), e3838. doi> full text>
  • Ugelvig LV, Drijfhout FP, Kronauer DJ, Boomsma JJ, Pedersen JS, Cremer S. 2008. The introduction history of invasive garden ants in Europe: integrating genetic, chemical and behavioural approaches. BMC Biol, vol. 6, 11. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Jenner EA, Drijfhout FP. 2007. Chemical deterrent enables a socially parasitic ant to invade multiple hosts. Proc Biol Sci, vol. 274(1626), 2717-2721. doi>
  • Martin SJ, Takahashi J, Drijfhout FP. 2007. Setosa membrane structure and occurrence of eicosenol in honeybees (Apis sp.). APIDOLOGIE, vol. 38. link> doi>
  • Lommelen E, Johnson CA, Drijfhout FP, Billen J, Wenseleers T, Gobin B. 2006. Cuticular hydrocarbons provide reliable cues of fertility in the ant Gnamptogenys striatula. J Chem Ecol, vol. 32(9), 2023-2034. doi>
  • Drijfhout FP, Kochansky J, Lin S, Calderone NW. 2005. Components of honeybee royal jelly as deterrents of the parasitic Varroa mite, Varroa destructor. J Chem Ecol, vol. 31(8), 1747-1764. doi>
  • Jungnickel H, da Costa AJS, Tentschert J, Patricio E, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL, Drijfhout F, Morgan ED. 2004. Chemical basis for intercolonial aggression in the stingless bee\fIScaptotrigona bipunctata\fP (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Insect Physiology.
  • Drijfhout FP, Groot AT, van Beek TA, Visser JH. 2003. Mate location in the green capsid bug, Lygocoris pabulinus. ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA, vol. 106. link> doi>
  • Drijfhout FP, Groot AT, Posthumus MA, van Beek TA, de Groot A. 2002. Coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic responses of Lygocoris pabulinus (L.) to female and male produced volatiles. CHEMOECOLOGY, vol. 12. link> doi>
  • Drijfhout FP and Groot AT. 2001. Close-range attraction in Lygocoris pabulinus (L.). J Chem Ecol, vol. 27(6), 1133-1149. doi>
  • Griepink FC, Drijfhout FP, Van Beek TA, Visser JH, De Groot A. 2000. Analysis of sex pheromone gland content of individual Symmetrischema tangolias by means of direct gland introduction into a two-dimensional gas chromatograph. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, vol. 26. link> doi>
  • Drijfhout FP, Van Beek TA, Visser JH, De Groot A. 2000. On-line thermal desorption-gas chromatography of intact insects for pheromone analysis. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, vol. 26. link> doi>
  • Groot AT, Timmer R, Gort G, Lelyveld GP, Drijfhout FP, Van Beek TA, Visser JH. 1999. Sex-related perception of insect and plant volatiles in Lygocoris pabulinus. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY, vol. 25. link> doi>
  • Drijfhout FP, Fraaije MW, Jongejan H, van Berkel WJ, Franssen MC. 1998. Enantioselective hydroxylation of 4-alkylphenols by vanillyl alcohol oxidase. Biotechnol Bioeng, vol. 59(2), 171-177. doi>

Other

  • Groot AT, Visser JH, Geerts R, Drijfhout FP, van Beek TA. 1998. Behavioural response of Lygocoris pabulinus (Heteroptera : Miridae) to potential sex pheromone compounds. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SECTION EXPERIMENTAL AND APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY OF THE NETHERLANDS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY (NEV). link>

Year 1

  • CHE-10021: Forensic Investigation and Analysis

Year 2

  • CHE-20011: Spectroscopy and Advanced Analysis (Module Leader)
  • CHE-20002: Spectroscopic methods

Year 3

  • CHE-30011: Forensic Science Team Research Project (Supervisor)
  • CHE-30008/9: Research Projects, experimental & non-experimental (Supervisor)

Science Foundation Year

  • CHE-00027/28/29: Essential Organics (Module Leader)

Chemistry Enhancement Course

  • CHE-10030: Organic Chemistry