Falko Drijfhout - Keele University
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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).

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