About CECE
The Centre of Excellence in Chemical Ecology (CECE) is envisioned as India’s pioneering hub dedicated to understanding the hidden language of life - the chemical signals that shape interactions between plants, insects, microbes and the ecosystem they inhabit.
Housed within the Department of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences-GKVK Bengaluru, CECE brings together cutting-edge research, advanced instrumentation and interdisciplinary expertise to decode the chemical cues that drive ecological behaviour. CECE aims to build a vibrant scientific ecosystem with:
- Specialised research groups spanning from plant-insect interaction to semiochemical innovation.
- State-of-the-art analytical facilities, including advanced mass spectrometry, GC-EAD, GC-MS/MS, NMR, Electro-physiology labs, behaviour arenas and controlled-environment experimental spaces and fields.
- Collaborative platforms connecting academia, industry, and global research partners to accelerate discoveries and translational applications.
With a growing team of researchers, students and collaborators, CECE is poised to serve as a national and international hub for chemical ecology research, delivering breakthroughs for sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and ecological innovation. CECE is not just a research centre, it is a movement to transform India’s chemical ecology landscape, empower next-generation scientists, and create science-driven solutions for real-world challenges.
Core Research Focus
What We Are Exploring at the Centre of Excellence in Chemical Ecology (CECE)
At the Centre of Excellence in Chemical Ecology, we explore one of nature’s most powerful yet invisible forces — chemical communication. Every plant, insect, and microbe constantly releases chemical signals that shape survival, behaviour, and ecological balance. Our research aims to decode this hidden language and translate it into innovations for sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and ecological resilience.
Chemical Ecology examines how organisms interact with their environment through a vast diversity of chemical cues. Our interdisciplinary teams including organic chemists, entomologists, ecologists, biochemists, behavioural scientists, physiologists, and insect geneticists, work together to unravel this complexity using modern molecular, chemical, and neurobiological tools. Our core research focus areas are as follows:
- Plant-Insect Interaction
- Predatory-Prey Interaction
- Microbial Ecology
- Applied Chemical Ecology
- Pollinator Chemical Ecology
- Neuroethology