Schulz Lab
@labschulz.bsky.social
880 followers 110 following 25 posts
Our research group is interested in Chemical Ecology, Natural Product Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, arthropods, e. g. spiders, butterflies, or Collembola, frogs, bacterial volatiles and communication, as well as plants. We are located in Braunschweig, D.
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Sep 3
MACE release 8 is now available. It contains 680 EI- and 50 Orbitrap mass spectra, including terpenoids, pheromones, alkaloids, lipids, etc.
The open-access data can be found at

doi.org/10.24355/dbb...

The MACE website with individual spectra is accessible via🧪

www.oc.tu-bs.de/schulz/html/...
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Aug 22
The first frog sesquiterpene synthase, a non-canonical terpene synthase producing bisabolol was characterized by heterologous expression. Published in Org.Biomolec. Chem.
@orgbiomolchem.rsc.org‬
doi.org/10.1039/D5OB...
Frog farnesyl pyrophosphate synthases and their role as non-canonical terpene synthases for bisabolane sesquiterpenes
Three enzymes from African frogs with close sequence homology to avian farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS) were studied for their function. All three enzymes converted (2Z,6E)-FPP into several bisa...
doi.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 29
What a unique day! By coincidence, three papers we are involved in were published today. The third one describes the genomic analysis of the rapid radiation of ithomiine butterflies, which use color mimicry. Species recognition seems to involve semiochemicals. See PNAS: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Genomics of Neotropical biodiversity indicators: Two butterfly radiations with rampant chromosomal rearrangements and hybridization | PNAS
A central question in evolutionary biology is what drives the diversification of lineages. Rapid, recent radiations are ideal systems for this ques...
doi.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 29
For the GC/MS analyses of these long methylalkyl methyl ethers, it is most useful to use Orbitrap instead of quadrupole GC/MS. The spectral analysis is easier with a tool called by us ion series spectra (ISS). See in Analyt. Chem. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Determination of Methyl Group Positions in Long-Chain Aliphatic Methyl Ethers and Alcohols by Gas Chromatography/Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry
Methylated long-chain aliphatic compounds such as terminal methyl ethers are a common compound type found on the epicuticular layer of arthropods, e.g., spiders. Because complex mixtures are encounter...
pubs.acs.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 28
We investigated the synthesis of methyl-branched long-chain alkyl methyl ethers, occurring in spider cuticular lipids. The late introduction of the methyl group appears to be superior compared to carrying it along from the beginning. See our article in Eur. J. Org. Chem.
doi.org/10.1002/ejoc...
Reposted by Schulz Lab
natprodreports.rsc.org
Natural Product Reports @natprodreports.rsc.org · May 6
🔓Take a look in our latest issue at this Highlight by Anton Möllerke & Stefan Schulz, part of our 40th anniversary collection, discussing the natural product chemistry of Collembola #natprod

📍 @tu-braunschweig.de @labschulz.bsky.social
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Small animals with unique chemistry – the natural product chemistry of Collembola
Covering up to September 2024 Collembola, commonly known as springtails, are abundant and important members of soil ecosystems. Due to their small size and hidden life, not much is known about their…
pubs.rsc.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Apr 30
Please try again later. the link is correct. The message means currently to many accesses
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Apr 29
MACE is an open-access mass spectral database of electron-impact (EI) mass spectra. Release 7 is now available with 520 EI spectra and 32 Orbitrap spectra.
doi.org/10.24355/dbb...
A description of MACE 7 can be found at:
www.oc.tu-bs.de/schulz/html/...
🧪 #secmet
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Apr 10
Orchid bees love HNDB! We developed a short g-scale synthesis of this compound, 2-hydroxy-6-nona-1,3-dienylbenzaldehyde, published in Synlett:
www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejo... 🧪
#secmet #natprod
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Mar 13
Tiny animals can produce novel terpenoids:
Curvisetone─A Male-Specific Tricyclic nor-Diterpenoid from the Springtail Sinella curviseta
#natprod 🧪 Journal of Natural Products pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Curvisetone─A Male-Specific Tricyclic nor-Diterpenoid from the Springtail Sinella curviseta
The structure determination and occurrence of curvisetone (1), a tricyclic nor-diterpenoid from the tiny Collembola Sinella curviseta, is reported. Utilizing NMR analysis and mass spectrometry, we identified curvisetone’s unique carbon skeleton and its occurrence in various sex and life stages. Curvisetone, carrying an unprecedented carbon tricyclic ring system, is an example of the distinct terpene usage of Collembola, which differentiates them from other arthropods.
pubs.acs.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Mar 5
Anton Möllerke from our group won the DECHEMA PhD prize for Natural Product Research 2025 for his work on the chemistry of springtails.🧪

nachrichten.idw-online.de/2025/03/04/a...
Anton Möllerke, Braunschweig, und Nina Hartrampf, Zürich, erhalten DECHEMA-Preise für Naturstoffforschung 2025
nachrichten.idw-online.de
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Reposted by Schulz Lab
uhl-lab.bsky.social
Gabriele Uhl @uhl-lab.bsky.social · Jan 6
doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
Olfaction in spiders. We found that the wall pore sensilla in spiders look similar from the outside to those of insects, but differ ultrastructurally in various ways. Independent evolution!
🧪
Olfaction with legs—Spiders use wall-pore sensilla for pheromone detection | PNAS
The sense of smell is a central sensory modality of most terrestrial species. However, our knowledge of olfaction is based on vertebrates and insec...
doi.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Dec 5
We have discovered a new type of steroid with contracted A-ring, the batrachane skeleton, in the gular scent glands of Odontobatrachus frogs. See the identification and synthesis of various batrachodienes, potentially used as signals, in Angew. Chem.
t.co/rmoLRDW0bC
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Nov 13
We congratulate Natural Product Reports on 40 years of publication with a highlight on the chemistry of springtails. Please take a look at the fascinating compounds produced by these tiny soil dwellers.🧪
doi.org/10.1039/d4np...
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Oct 30
MACE release 6 is now available. It contains over 420 EI mass spectra and almost 30 orbitrap mass spectra.
The data can be found at leopard.tu-braunschweig.de/receive/dbbs...
The MACE website with individual spectra is accessible via www.oc.tu-bs.de/schulz/html/...
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Oct 28
In memory of the late Paul Weldon: This new but last joint paper describes unusual fatty acids from the scent glands of the endangered Mangshan pit viper.
www.beilstein-journals.org/bjoc/article... 🧪
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Sep 26
The European cooperative program e-niche, sponsored by the EU Cost Action, has released a short video explaining why we are interested in Chemical Ecology and what it actually is.
🧪 youtu.be/Cv6SIx2b-ms
What is Chemical Ecology (and why you should care)
YouTube video by The E-NICHE channel to European Chemical Ecology
youtu.be
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Sep 4
Unique highly hetero-substituted benzenes are defense compounds from tiny springtails. The minute amounts available needed the combination of GC/MS, GC/IR, DFT calculation, and synthesis to arrive at the structures. 🧪

t.co/T6QQe72uiT
Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Sep 2
Hi, I like to be added to the list as a chemist. A publication link is:
pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...
Thank you
Identification of unique highly hetero-substituted benzenes as chemical weapons of springtails by a combination of trace analytical methods with DFT calculations and synthesis
Springtails (Collembola) are important members of the soil mesofauna. They are small, often less than 1–2 mm in length. A typical escape response of most surface-living species is to jump, using their...
pubs.rsc.org
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 24
Maybe something for #secmet
Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 23
Springtails are great terpene chemists, but they can also synthesize other stuff. See our analysis of 23 species in iScience and their unique cuticular chemistry. Organic analysis and synthesis are needed to decipher their compounds.
t.co/dvoeGLFia8
Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Jul 23
Springtails are great terpene chemists, but they can also synthesize other stuff. See our analysis of 23 species in iScience and their unique cuticular chemistry. Organic analysis and synthesis are needed to decipher their compounds.
t.co/dvoeGLFia8
1
Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Apr 29
A unique cuticular hydrocarbon from the springtail Heteromurus nitidus. This new terpene type, a prenylated geranylated diterpene, highlights differences between Collembola and more advanced insects. See our article in J Nat Prod.
t.co/z9HQ8WbIRm
Nitidane: An Irregular Prenylated Diterpene from the Cuticle of the Springtail Heteromurus nitidus
Collembola are closely related to insects, but our knowledge of their often unique chemistry is limited. Here we report the identification of the epicuticular lipid nitidane, representing a novel clas...
t.co
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Reposted by Schulz Lab
labbor.bsky.social
LABBOR @labbor.bsky.social · Apr 17
Colaboramos em um lindo estudo sobre especiação em borboletas #Heliconius, publicado hoje na prestigiada revista científica Nature. Um esforço coletivo liderado brilhantemente por Neil Rosser.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Hybrid speciation driven by multilocus introgression of ecological traits - Nature
Genomic studies of Heliconius butterflies provide evidence that Heliconius elevatus is a hybrid species, and that its speciation was driven by introgression of traits from Heliconius melpomene in...
www.nature.com
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Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Apr 2
Socialane, the first cyclic regular [9]-terpene was synthesized and identified by us as cuticular hydrocarbon of the tiny springtail Hypogastrura socialis. If you are interested its stereoselective synthesis, see doi.org/10.1002/chem... in Chemistry Eur. J.
Schulz Lab @labschulz.bsky.social · Mar 5
Volatile salinilactones, produced by the bacterium Salinispora, target disulfide-isomerases. See doi.org/10.1002/advs... in Advanced Science, by K. Jerye et al. of the @BronstrupLab. This is one of the first studies describing how bacterial volatiles act.