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Biology and Biochemistry
Germany
2026
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Plant Science and Agronomy
Germany
2023

D-Index & Metrics

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
136
Citations
68050
World Ranking
338
National Ranking
22

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in Germany Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in Germany Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Germany Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in Germany Leader Award
  • 2021 - German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina - Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina – Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Organismic and Evolutionary Biology
  • 2012 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Jonathan Gershenzon is affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany. Their research focuses on the chemical ecology of plants, particularly investigating plant biochemistry, biosynthesis, and interactions with insects. Their work spans multiple subfields including molecular biology, plant science, insect science, and ecology, with notable contributions to understanding plant parasitism and resistance as well as forest insect ecology and management.

Gershenzon's publication record reflects a broad engagement with both fundamental and applied topics in biological sciences. They have published extensively in venues such as bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, New Phytologist, PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, and Frontiers in Plant Science.

Some recent papers authored or coauthored by Gershenzon include:

  • Origin and early evolution of the plant terpene synthase family, 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • A light-dependent molecular link between competition cues and defence responses in plants, 2020, Nature Plants
  • The biosynthesis of thymol, carvacrol, and thymohydroquinone in Lamiaceae proceeds via cytochrome P450s and a short-chain dehydrogenase, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • The phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum detoxifies plant glucosinolate hydrolysis products via an isothiocyanate hydrolase, 2020, Nature Communications
  • Storage of carbon reserves in spruce trees is prioritized over growth in the face of carbon limitation, 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Throughout their career, Gershenzon has collaborated frequently with other researchers including Michael Reichelt, Tobias G. Köllner, Axel Schmidt, Katrin Luck, and Daniel G. Vassão.

Research topics prominently covered by Gershenzon encompass:

  • Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
  • Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
  • Plant Parasitism and Resistance
  • Forest Insect Ecology and Management
  • Plant and animal studies
  • Genomics, phytochemicals, and oxidative stress
  • Insect and Pesticide Research

Gershenzon's work contributes significantly to the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences and Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a particular focus on molecular biology and plant science subfields. Their research addresses both mechanistic biochemical pathways in plants and ecological relationships between plants and insects.

Among the honors received, Gershenzon was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2012 and became a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2021, recognized within Organismic and Evolutionary Biology.

Best Publications

  • BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY OF GLUCOSINOLATES

    Barbara Ann Halkier;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • The function of terpene natural products in the natural world.

    Jonathan Gershenzon;Natalia Dudareva

  • Recruitment of entomopathogenic nematodes by insect-damaged maize roots

    Sergio Rasmann;Tobias G. Köllner;Jörg Degenhardt;Ivan Hiltpold

  • Diversity and Distribution of Floral Scent

    Jette T. Knudsen;Roger Eriksson;Jonathan Gershenzon;Bertil Ståhl

  • The formation and function of plant volatiles: perfumes for pollinator attraction and defense

    Eran Pichersky;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Biochemistry of Plant Volatiles

    Natalia Dudareva;Eran Pichersky;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Monoterpene and sesquiterpene synthases and the origin of terpene skeletal diversity in plants.

    Jörg Degenhardt;Tobias G. Köllner;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Multiple stress factors and the emission of plant VOCs

    Jarmo K. Holopainen;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Variation of glucosinolate accumulation among different organs and developmental stages of Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Paul D Brown;Jim G Tokuhisa;Michael Reichelt;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • A unified mechanism of action for volatile isoprenoids in plant abiotic stress

    Claudia E Vickers;Jonathan Gershenzon;Manuel T Lerdau;Francesco Loreto

  • Genetic control of natural variation in Arabidopsis glucosinolate accumulation.

    Daniel J. Kliebenstein;Juergen Kroymann;Paul Brown;Antje Figuth

  • Changes in the Levels of Plant Secondary Metabolites Under Water and Nutrient Stress

    Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Methyl Jasmonate Induces Traumatic Resin Ducts, Terpenoid Resin Biosynthesis, and Terpenoid Accumulation in Developing Xylem of Norway Spruce Stems

    Diane Martin;Dorothea Tholl;Jonathan Gershenzon;Jörg Bohlmann

  • Constitutive plant toxins and their role in defense against herbivores and pathogens

    Ute Wittstock;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • The products of a single maize sesquiterpene synthase form a volatile defense signal that attracts natural enemies of maize herbivores

    Christiane Schnee;Tobias G. Köllner;Matthias Held;Ted C. J. Turlings

  • The nonmevalonate pathway supports both monoterpene and sesquiterpene formation in snapdragon flowers.

    Natalia Dudareva;Susanna Andersson;Irina Orlova;Nathalie Gatto

  • Metabolic costs of terpenoid accumulation in higher plants.

    Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Successful herbivore attack due to metabolic diversion of a plant chemical defense

    Ute Wittstock;Niels Agerbirk;Einar J. Stauber;Carl Erik Olsen

  • The specificity of herbivore-induced plant volatiles in attracting herbivore enemies

    Andrea Liliana Clavijo McCormick;Sybille Unsicker;Jonathan Gershenzon

  • Elucidation of Gene-to-Gene and Metabolite-to-Gene Networks in Arabidopsis by Integration of Metabolomics and Transcriptomics

    Masami Yokota Hirai;Marion Klein;Yuuta Fujikawa;Mitsuru Yano

Frequent Co-Authors

Michael Reichelt
Michael Reichelt Max Planck Society
Tobias G. Köllner
Tobias G. Köllner Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
Sybille B. Unsicker
Sybille B. Unsicker Max Planck Society
Rodney Croteau
Rodney Croteau Washington State University
Bernd Schneider
Bernd Schneider Max Planck Society
Tom J. Mabry
Tom J. Mabry The University of Texas at Austin
Matthias Erb
Matthias Erb University of Bern
Wilhelm Boland
Wilhelm Boland Max Planck Society
Aleš Svatoš
Aleš Svatoš Max Planck Society
Eran Pichersky
Eran Pichersky University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

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