Martin Kaltenpoth Explained

Martin Kaltenpoth (born in 1977 in Hagen) is a German evolutionary ecologist.

Scientific career

After studying biology at the University of Würzburg, which was supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung), Kaltenpoth completed his doctorate in 2006 under the supervision of Erhard Strohm on the topic Protective bacteria and attractive pheromones - symbiosis and chemical communication in beewolves.^[1] He was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Regensburg and the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. In 2009, he joined the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology as head of the Max Planck Research Group Insect Symbiosis. In 2015, he was appointed Chair of Evolutionary Ecology at the University of Mainz. Since 2020, he has been Director and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Head of the Department of Insect Symbiosis.^[2]

Research

Kaltenpoth studies symbioses between insects and microorganisms. Bacteria are important partners for their hosts, as they help open up new habitats and the exploit new food sources.^[3] They also play a vital role in their host insects’ defense against enemies.^[4] The goal of Kaltenpoth's research is to characterize the diversity of bacterial symbionts in insects and their importance for the ecology of their hosts, tracing their evolutionary origin.^[5]

Honors and awards

• Student Research Grant Award, Animal Behavior Society, USA, 2001
• Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Grant, American Museum of Natural History, USA, 2002
• Biocenter Science Award of the University of Würzburg, 2006
• Award of the Ingrid Weiss / Horst Wiehe Foundation, German Society for General and Applied Entomology (DGaaE), 2007^[6]
• Young Scientist Award, Society for Experimental Biology (SEB), United Kingdom, 2007
• Thuringian Science Award of the Thuringian Ministry for Economy, Science and Digital Society, Germany, 2014^[7]
• Griswold Lecture, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, USA, 2018
• European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant, 2019^[8]
• Elected Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, 2023^[9]
• Honorary Professorship for Evolutionary Ecology at University of Jena, Faculty of Biosciences, 2023,^[10]

External links

• Website of the Department of Insect Symbiosis at the MPI for Chemical Ecology

Notes and References

1. https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/frontdoor/index/index/year/2006/docId/1775 Online Publication Service of Würzburg University
2. https://www.mpg.de/14608616/chemical-ecology-kaltenpoth Profile on the webpage of the Max Planck Society
3. https://idw-online.de/en/news749276 Versatile symbionts: Reed beetles benefit from bacterial helpers through all life stages, press release, Dec. 6, 2020
4. https://idw-online.de/en/news766914 Defensive symbiosis leads to gene loss in bacterial partners, press release, Appr. 19, 2021
5. https://idw-online.de/en/news689071 Beewolves have been successfully using the same antibiotics for 68 million years, press release, Feb. 13, 2018
6. https://www.dgaae.de/de/i-weiss-h-wiehe-stiftung.html Förderpreis der Ingrid Weiss / Horst Wiehe Stiftung
7. https://www.welt.de/regionales/thueringen/article138196333/20-Thueringer-Forschungspreis-geht-an-vier-Institute.html 20. Thüringer Forschungspreis geht an vier Institute
8. https://idw-online.de/en/news708414 ERC Consolidator Grant for research on the relationship between beetles and symbiotic bacteria, press release, Dec. 6, 2018
9. https://www.embo.org/press-releases/embo-announces-election-of-new-members/ EMBO announces election of new members, EMBO Communications, July 4, 2023
10. https://www.ice.mpg.de/457213/Martin-Kaltenpoth-honorary-professor Martin Kaltenpoth appointed honorary professor at Friedrich Schiller University, October 30, 2023