The main aim and objective of the Action is to unify European players in chemical ecology, promoting visibility and sharing knowledge, tools, and platforms.
https://e-niche.eu/
Sylvia is a member of working group 1, led by Sylvie Baudino:
Addressing knowledge gaps and constraints in chemical ecology
Addressing knowledge gaps and constraints in chemical ecology is a cross-thematic task in nature, bringing together participants through various coordinated activities. First, WG1 will inventory existing knowledge on chemical communication and the CE methodologies used by E-NICHE participants. In its first meeting (M1.1), CE terms will be collaboratively defined to obtain a standardised lexicon and thus facilitate information transfer among researchers (RCOs 1–3; CBOs 1,5). Next, a series of workshops (M1.2) will be held to identify gaps in knowledge and technical constraints in CE (RCOs 2,3; CBOs 1,5) and to draw up a roadmap for filling these gaps (RCOs 2,3). To this end, concrete strategies will be developed during several WG meetings (M1.3) and two Training Schools (M1.4) attended by the next generation of chemical ecologists (CBOs 1,2,4,5). WG1 will focus on three main topics: (1) elucidating biosynthetic pathways and the underlying genes, with a view to designing strategies for identifying the gene networks behind the biosynthesis of specialised metabolites; (2) deciphering chemical communication in multipartite and multitrophic interactions, with a view to designing robust experimental research examining these interactions also in aquatic systems; and (3) comparing laboratory and field experiments, with a view to developing approaches for studying complex chemical interactions in natural ecosystems rather than under controlled laboratory conditions. Several STSMs will be organised around these three topics. The results of this work will be published in well-respected international journals, and we will communicate about the findings via social media.
