I used to be an entomologist and a chemical ecologist. As such, I was mostly interested in how insects use chemicals for communication and defense. Many animals use chemicals to guide them through life, from locating food, through avoiding predators, to finding and assessing mates. Insects are remarkable at producing and recognizing various chemicals and using them for a wide range of functions, including attraction and evaluation of the opposite sex, advertising reproductive status, and defenses against predators. These are the aspects of chemical communication that my research was focusing on. Such chemicals affect the behavior of insects, sometimes in unexpected manners.

I looked at these chemicals as a language, and my aim was to learn this language and translate biological phenomena to the community. I conducted behavioral observations and assays to guide me as I isolated and identified the chemicals using various analytical techniques.

I am currently an artist residing in New York City.

www.doriteliyahu.com