A Passionate Entomologist  [22.12.21]

Prof. Dr. Georg Petschenka | Photo: University of Hohenheim / Corinna Schmid | more press photos in print quality

After all, knowledge about insects can be used in a variety of ways: For applications in medicine as well as for the use of insects as food and feed. Or even to put a stop to insect die-offs. Prof. Dr. Petschenka's passion for the little crawling creatures is just as evident in his research as it is in his teaching.

Mr. Petschenka, your department is Applied Entomology. What exactly does that mean?

Entomology is the study of insects. If you consider that insects are the largest group of organisms on earth, it is easy to imagine how diverse this discipline is. In my terms, applied entomology is the study and use of concepts from entomology for application. Traditionally, the focus here has certainly been on crop protection, i.e., the control of insect pests in a wide variety of ways.

More recently, however, it has become increasingly clear that insect research can also be used in a variety of other ways. This includes numerous potential biotechnological applications of insects (e.g. for medicine) as well as the use of insects as food for animals and humans. Especially in view of the ongoing biodiversity crisis, I also see insect conservation and research on the causes of insect extinction as a central task of applied entomology.

Just as I consider a separation of basic and applied research to be useful only to a limited extent, however, I do not consider a distinction of entomology into "applied" and "general" or "special" entomology to be purposeful, since I believe that it is precisely curiosity-driven basic research that can provide much inspiration for applications.

What was your own path to the professorship in Hohenheim like?

Long and varied, but always driven by passion. I studied Biology in Tübingen and Bayreuth, after which I worked as a scientific trainee at the Museum of Natural Science in Karlsruhe on the taxonomy of moths.

Afterwards I did my PhD in Hamburg on the adaptation of insects to plant toxins and was a postdoc at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. After returning from the U.S., I led an Emmy Noether group at the University of Giessen and have been a tenure-track professor at Hohenheim since March 2020.

What puzzle would you like to solve with your research?

I don't want to solve any particular puzzle, but would like to solve many. The big conceptual framework of my research is to understand the evolution of mutual adaptations between insects and plants. Within this framework, we test evolutionary hypotheses and try to derive future applications from our findings.

However, many of my projects also simply arise from my fascination with insects and my curiosity, which I consider to be the central driving force in research anyway.

Assuming you had unlimited resources and possibilities: Which project would you tackle?

I always try to do the best I can with the resources I have, and I also believe that you can do conceptually strong research even with very limited resources. Nevertheless, with more money you can of course address questions that would otherwise be impossible to answer, especially in terms of methods.

With unlimited funds, I would probably feel a strong obligation to address the optimization of our science system, which I am now only able to do to a very limited extent.

What research topics are you involved with at the moment?

We are currently investigating adaptations of insects to different classes of plant toxins (cardiac glycosides and alkaloids) in an evolutionary context as part of our DFG-funded basic research. In this context, we are particularly interested in insects that store plant toxins in their body tissues to protect themselves against predators, a phenomenon known as sequestration. In this context, we perform studies at the molecular level, but also physiological studies, e.g. on isolated insect tissues. In the same context, we also work on predator-prey relationships.

Within the scope of our Agricultural Sciences research, we investigate a wide range of questions. In addition to innovative crop protection strategies that we derive from basic research observations, research on effects of insecticides on non-target organisms will be a future specialization.

Can students get involved in research projects?

We constantly involve students in our ongoing research through Bachelor's or Master's theses and lab work. Likewise, we regularly employ student assistants. Students are welcome at our department and are actively involved in our research group.

What are the main elements of your teaching concept?

Influenced by the unity of research and teaching in the German university system, I consider teaching to be an essential part of my work as a scientist. I myself have benefited most from courses taught by lecturers actively involved in science, as they are familiar with the real problems of everyday science and can teach the critical, analytical, and creative thinking skills necessary for scientific success.

I enjoy teaching, especially entomological topics and plant-insect interactions. I have been fascinated by insects since early childhood, and students appreciate my natural passion for insects and plants. The style of my teaching is informed by my own curiosity, and I try to make my courses as interactive as possible, especially to stimulate critical thinking and scientific discussion. In particular, I encourage students to provide feedback and communicate their needs from the first minute.

As often as possible, I use visual aids (e.g. live insects), which is unfortunately hardly possible at the moment due to the prevailing pandemic. At the same time, I have regularly offered field excursions, as I see great value in direct observation. In the future, excursions will again be an important part of my teaching, as soon as the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic allow it again.

In addition to classical teaching formats such as lectures, I very much welcome research-oriented approaches, as they have fortunately already been implemented in various Hohenheim modules.

What does good teaching mean to you?

For me, good teaching means dialog with the students. I consider myself to be very approachable and have the impression that the students also notice this and know how to use it for their benefit. Apart from that, my teaching is also passion-driven, and I try to transfer my enthusiasm for subject matter to the students. I try to create an atmosphere in which mistakes can be made and no one is afraid to ask questions.

When I realize that my teaching is well received and that the students are able to implement my course content well for themselves, especially in the supervision in the research context, I am very pleased and in return it motivates me to further improve my teaching. At the same time, I also learn a lot from the students, which for me is also a characteristic of good teaching and for which I am very grateful.

Where do your graduates work later?

The insect die-off has led to insects becoming more of a focus of public interest. The general public has realized that the survival of our species also depends on insects, which should be a good motivation to promote insect research. Therefore, I believe that it is worthwhile -especially now- to get involved in entomology.

Since I have only recently started to head my department, not many of my graduates are in the workforce yet. I myself am particularly interested in preparing students for an academic career, but I am convinced that a good scientific education, which we hope to provide, is also a good preparation for any professional career.

What good advice do you give to students?

To be authentic and to engage with the content that you are really "on fire" for.

Do you like it here in Hohenheim now?

I like it very much in Hohenheim and at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. I have a fantastic faculty that offers great potential for collaborative research. Furthermore, I appreciate the great openness and transparency at Hohenheim.

Last but not least, I would like to mention the Hohenheim students, who have stayed on the ball despite the current pandemic and with whom I have already had the pleasure of working very productively in teaching and research.

One last question: How do you spend your free time?

What free time ;-) At the moment, my profession leaves me very little free time, which I prefer to spend with my partner and my children. However, since I was lucky enough to be able to turn my passion into my profession, it is relatively easy for me to motivate myself for the heavy workload. Apart from that, I really enjoy being in nature and in my free time I actually prefer to deal with insects.

Thank you for the interview, Mr. Petschenka!

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