Historie

The majority of the Infochemicals Group members originated from the former Department of Natural Products. The Department of Natural Products belonged to the leading divisions of the Institute since its establishment in 1950. From its very beginning, the Department has been orientated towards the study of low-molecular weight components of living systems with special emphasis to chemical aspects of their biological action.

The extensive research on isolation, identification, synthesis, biosynthesis, and metabolism of terpenoid constituents of plants under the guidance of Prof. V. Herout and direct scientific involvement of Prof. F. Šorm was the first project that brought worldwide attention to the Department. During the fifties and sixties, the discoveries of nine-, ten- and eleven-membered-ring sesquiterpenes, bicyclic carbo-spirocompounds, as well as sesquiterpenic lactones in plants of the Compositae family promoted the Department to one of the world centers in the area of natural product chemistry. The results of this research have been published in two series of publications, "On Terpenes" (309 papers) and "Plant Substances" (58 papers).

From earlier descriptive studies on secondary plant metabolites of new structures and new pharmacodynamic principles, the research has progressed to more ecologically orientated studies in the late sixties. Towards the end of the decade chemical ecology emerged as a new discipline concerned with the interactions among organisms, predominantly insects and plants, which take place on a molecular level. The Department took advantage of its rich tradition in the field of phytochemistry and became a pioneering laboratory in the field of chemical ecology in Central Europe. Scientists of the Department participated in the discovery of analogs of hormones regulating the development and reproduction of insects (juvenoids) and insect moulting hormones (ecdysteroids), and initiated a broad program of chemical, biochemical, and physiological research on the structure and function of these essential regulatory compounds. During these years, an extensive co-operation between chemists and entomologists was initiated. The attention was paid especially to morphological and physiological effects of juvenoids. Several hundred juvenoids have been synthesized and tested and the results were summarized in the monograph "Insect Hormones and Bioanalogs" (1974). The Department headed by Dr. M. Romaňuk closely collaborated with the Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences. It was regarded as a leading and most productive laboratory in the juvenoid research area and made a great contribution to the Institute's recognition both at home and abroad.

Since the late seventies, much attention has also been paid to semiochemicals-volatile chemical messengers by which insects communicate with one another. The department's scientists (headed by Dr. J. Vrkoč) and entomologist (Dr. I. Hrdý), were the first to demonstrate that the defensive secretion of the Nasutitermitinae soldiers is composed of a mixture diterpenoids with the trinervitane, kempane and rippertane skeleton. The general demands for alternative means of pest control and increasing concerns about environmental conservation gave impetus to a systematic search for new non-traditional pesticides and promoted also a new research area focused on infochemicals. In 1986, the extraordinary fruitful collaboration between our chemists and entomologists resulted in merging both the collaborating groups. Until 2006 (heads: Dr. J. Vrkoč and Dr. B. Koutek), the Department performed an interdisciplinary research devoted to basic research and advanced education in the field of natural product chemistry and chemical ecology both from the chemical and biological point of view.