Jury report for Prof. M. (Marcel) Dicke

Professor of Entomology at Wageningen University

Professor Dicke receives the NWO/Spinoza Prize 2007 for his ecological research into the interaction between plants and insects. He has discovered, for example, that in response to insect feeding plants produce specific volatile chemicals that attract enemies of their enemies.

Marcel Dicke (28 November 1957, Dordrecht) gained his degree in biology with distinction in 1982 at Leiden University. After working for several years as a teacher he gained his doctorate with distinction at Wageningen University in 1988. From 1997 to 2001 he was Uyttenboogaart-Eliasen professor at the Department of Entomology, Wageningen University, where he has been Professor of Entomology since 2002. In that same year Dicke received a Vici subsidy from NWO. In 2006 he was one of the winners of the prestigious British Rank Prize.

Marcel Dicke is a pioneer in the area of tritrophic interactions: plant – herbivorous insect – predatory insect. He made his first groundbreaking discovery in 1986. At that time it was known that plants could defend themselves against herbivores (insects and mites) by releasing toxins. Dicke demonstrated that plants also released volatile substances to attract predatory mites which in turn attacked the herbivorous mites. This pioneering work opened up a new research area in ecology: tritrophic interactions. In 1988 Dicke was the first to publish about this field.

Dicke is a prolific researcher with a diverse range of interests. His work is highly multidisciplinary: he studies insects from gene to community. Besides greenhouse experiments he also carries out field experiments. He is a prominent reviewer and organiser and accordingly well known and appreciated. He has received national and international fame for his original publications – including articles in Nature and Science – review articles and lectures. Several of his almost 300 publications belong to the best-cited articles of the journals concerned.

Marcel Dicke is an innovator, who has built up an enthusiastic team. Since his first discovery he has started a new wave in the ecology of insect-plant relationships every five years. He puts original hypotheses to the test and bridges the gap between theory and practice. The fundamental insights he obtains are, for example, useful for plant breeding and biological control. Accordingly his research contributes to the reduction in the use of pesticides in agriculture and horticulture.

The ecological entomologist is exemplary in ensuring that his research benefits society. Besides involving companies in his work he also makes numerous contributions to popular scientific books and magazines. In 2006, Dicke and his team managed to interest more than 20,000 visitors for scientific research into insects with their winning entry for the Academische Jaarprijs ‘Wageningen, City of Insects’.

In a nutshell Marcel Dicke is an innovative, original researcher with an exceptional talent for translating his research into practical applications and for the benefit of society. Moreover he is an outstanding lecturer who is highly praised by his many students and PhD researchers. The jury expects that with his NWO/Spinoza Prize he will make groundbreaking discoveries over the next few years and, with his unprecedented flair, make these accessible for both users and the interested public.

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This jury report served as the basis for the speech given by Prof. Didi Braat upon the announcement of the NWO/Spinoza Prizes 2007 on 4 June 2007.