David Morgan

Biography

Professor Morgan is a graduate of Memorial University College (St. John's, Newfoundland), and Dalhousie (B.Sc., Halifax, Nova Scotia) and Oxford Universities (B.A., M.A., D. Phil.), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Entomological Society and the Chromatographic Society and a life Member of the International Society for Chemical Ecology. He held a post- doctoral appointment at the National Institute for Medical Research (with J. W., later Sir John Cornforth) and then worked with his former Professor, Sir Robert Robinson at Shell Chemical Company. He was appointed to the Chemistry Department at Keele University in 1966, and was successively Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor of Entomological Chemistry, formally retiring in 1995, but still active in research.

Research and scholarship

• Chemistry of Insect Secretions and Pheromones
• Trail pheromones of ants,
• Micro-chemical techniques and reactions
• Chemo-taxonomy of social insects
• Chemistry in the evolution of social behaviour in insects
• Special Techniques in Chromatography
• Natural Insecticides
• Isolation, properties and biological effects of azadirachtin
• Chemical Archaeology
• The archaeological fate of buried fats and lipid

Further information

My book, "Biosynthesis in Insects", published in 2004 by the Royal Society of Chemistry at Cambridge, ISBN 0-85404-691-7, is the first book written on this subject. It covers pheromones, hormones, defensive and other secretions, pigments, and plant substances sequestered and altered by insects. It is at a level for students to understand, but is of interest to researchers and instructors:

• O. A. Gökçen, E. D. Morgan, F. R. Dani, D. Agosti and R. Wehner, “Dufour gland contents of ants of the Cataglyphis bicolor group", 2002, 28, 71-87
• E. F. L. R. A. Patricio, L. Cruz López, R. Maile, J. Tentschert, G. R. Jones and E. D. Morgan, “The propolis of stingless bees: terpenes from the tibia of three Frieseomelittaspecies.” Journal of Insect Physiology, 2002, 48, 249-254
• L. Cruz López, E. F. L. R. A. Patricio, R. Maile, and E. D. Morgan, “Secretions of stingless bees: cephalic secretions of two Frieseomelitta species.” Journal of Insect Physiology, 2002, 48, 453-458
• D. Koedam, J. Tentschert, G. R. Jones and E. D. Morgan "Production of wax by virgin queens of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor", Insectes Sociaux, 2002, 49, 229-233
• E.J. Allan, J.P. Eeswara, A.J. Mordue (Luntz), E.D. Morgan and T. Stuchbury, "Induction of hairy root cultures of Azadirachta indic A. Juss. and their production of azadirachtin and other important insect bioactive metabolites", Plant Cell Reports, 2002, 21, 374-379
• E. D. Morgan and A. P. Jarvis, "Solid phase extraction of neem limonoids" in "The science and application of neem", edited by M. Cole and R. Strang, Proceedings of a meeting held at Glasgow, April 2001. Published by Neemco, Irvine, 2002, pp. 18-22
• E. D. Morgan, "The chemistry of neem limonoids" in "Proceedings of the world neem conference (19-21 May 1999), University of British Colombia, Vancouver", edited by H. M. Behl, Neem Foundation, Mumbai, 2002, pp. 16-25
• C. Saxon, S. Brindley, N. Jervis, G. R. Jones, E. D. Morgan and C. A. Ramsden, "The world's first "pastarimeter": an analogous demonstration of polarimetry using pasta fusilli" Journal of Chemical Education, 2002, 79, 1214-1216
• E. D. Morgan, H. Jungnickel, S. J. Keegans, R. R. do Nascimento, J. Billen, B. Gobin and F. Ito "Comparative survey of the abdominal gland secretions of the ant subfamily Ponerinae", Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2003, 29, 95-114
• D. Ortius-Lechner, R. Maile, E. D. Morgan, H. C. Petersen and J. J. Boomsma"Lack of patriline-specific differences in chemical composition of the metapleural gland secretion in Acromyrmex octospinosus". Insectes Sociaux, 2003, 50, 113-119
• E. F. L. R. A. Patricio, L. Cruz López, R. Maile and E. D. Morgan "Secretions of stingless bees: the Dufour glands of some Frieseomelittaspecies (Apidae, Meliponinae)", Apidologie, 2003, 34, 359-365
• F. R. Dani, G. R. Jones, E. D. Morgan and S. Turillazzi, "Re-evaluation of the chemical secretion of the sternal glands of Polistes social wasps (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)" Ethology , Ecology and Evolution, 2003, 15, 73-82
• J. J. Boomsma, J. Nielsen, L. Sundström, N. J. Oldham, J. Tentschert, H. C. Petersen and E. D. Morgan, "Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants" Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, 2003, 100, 8799-8804
• R. W. Howard, J. E. Baker and E. D. Morgan, “Novel diterpenes and hydrocarbons in the Dufour gland of the ectoparasitoid Hebrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)” Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, 2003, 54,95-109
• R. Berstan, S. N. Dudd, M. S. Copley, E. D. Morgan, A. Quyec and R. P. Evershed. "Characterization of "bog butter" using a combination of molecular and isotopic techniques." Analyst, 2004, 129, 270-275
• E. D. Morgan, J. M. Brand, K. Mori and S. J. Keegans, "The trail pheromone of the ant Crematogaster castanea." Chemoecology, 2004, 14, 119-120
• B. Hölldobler, E. D. Morgan, N. J. Oldham, J. Liebig and Y. Liu, "Dufour gland secretion in the harvester ant genus Pogonomyrmex ." Chemoecology, 2004, 14, 101-106
• M. S. J. Simmonds, A. P. Jarvis, S. Johnson, G. R. Jones and E. D. Morgan, "Comparison of anti-feedant and insecticidal activity of nimbin and salannin photo-oxidation products with neem (Azdirachta indica) limonoids." Pest Management Science, 2004, 60, 459-464
• E. D. Morgan and I. D. Wilson, "An early description of paper chromatography?" Chromatographia , 2004, 60, 135-136
• H. Jungnickel, A. J. S. da Costa, J. Tentschert, E. F. L. R. A. Patricio, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, F. Drijfhout and E. D. Morgan, "Chemical basis for intercolonial aggression in the stingless bee Scaptotrigona bipunctata (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Journal of Insect Physiology, 2004, 50, 761-766
• F. C. Abdalla, G. R. Jones, E. D. Morgan and C. da Cruz-Landim, “Chemical composition of the Dufour gland secretion of queens of Melipona bicolour (Hymenoptera: Meliponini).”  Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society, 2004, 15, 621-625.
• W. E. Kerr, H. Jungnickel and E. D. Morgan, “Workers of the stingless bee Melipona scutellaris are more similar to males than to queens in their cuticular hydrocarbons”. Apidologie, 2004, 35, 611-618.
• E.F. L. R. A. Patricio, L. C. Cruz-López and E. D. Morgan, “Electroantennography in the study of two stingless bee species (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)”. Brazilian Journal of Biology, 2004, 64, 827-831.
• L. C. Cruz-López, E. A. Malo, E. D. Morgan, M. Rincon, M. Guzman and J. C. Rojas, “Mandibular gland secretion of Melipona beecheii: chemistry and behaviour”. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 2005, 31, 1621-1632.
• E. D. Morgan, B. D. Jackson and J. Billen, “Chemical secretions of the “Crazy Ant” Paratrechina longicornis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. Sociobiology, 2005, 46, 299-304.
• E. D. Morgan, C. R. Bielby and I. D. Wilson, “Seasonal production of moulting hormone in th barnacle Semibalanus balanoides”. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 2005, 321, 125-134.
• L. Cruz-López, B. D. Jackson, A. Hefetz and E. D. Morgan, “Alkaloids in the venom of Messor ants”. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2006, 34, 119-204.
• A. B. Attygalle, G. N. Jham and E. D. Morgan, “Contents of the hypertrophied postpharyngeal gland of workers and soldiers of the fire ant Solenpsis geminata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. Sociobiology, 2006, 47, 471-482.
• E. D. Morgan, S. J. Keegans, J. Tits, T. Wenseleers and J. Billen, “Preferences and differences in the trail pheromone of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens sexdens (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. European Journal of Entomology, 2006, 103, 553-558.
• E. D. Morgan, S. J. Keegans and J. Billen, “Exocrine chemistry of the Myrmicine ant Zacryptocerus pusillus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”. Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, 2006, 63, 11-14.
• J. M. S. Bento, T. M. C. Della Lucia, R. R. do Nascimento, J. Bergmann and E. D. Morgan, “Response of workers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to mandibular gland compounds of virgin males and females”, Physiological Entomology, 2007, 32, 283-286.
• M. F. Ali, B. D. Jackson and E. D. Morgan, “Contents of the poison apparatus of some species of Pheidole ants”, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2007, 32, 283-286.
• M. J. Mitchell, A. I. Brescia, S. L. Smith and E. D. Morgan, “Effects of the compounds 2-methoxynaphthoquinone, 2-propoxynaththoquinone and 2-isopropoxynaphthoquinone on ecdysoe 20-monooxygenase activity”, Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology, 2007, 66, 45-52.
• E. D. Morgan, H. Jungnickel, J. Billen, F. Ito, J. Bergmann and B. Gobin, “Contents of the exocrine glands of the ant subfamily Cerapachyinae”, Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2008, 36, 260-265.
• F. O. Francisco, P. Nunes-Silva, T. M. Francoy, D. Wittmann, V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, M. C. Arias and E. D. Morgan, “Morphometrical, biochemical and molecular tools for assessing biodiversity. An example in Plebeia remota (Holmberg, 1903) (Apidae, Meliponini)”, Insectes Sociaux, 2008, 55, 231-237.
• E. D. Morgan, “Chemical sorcery for sociality: exocrine secretions of antys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)”, Myrmecological News, 2008, 11, 79-90.
• J. Billen, E. D. Morgan, F. Drijfhout and K. Farmier, “Unusual structural and chemical characteristics of the Dufour gland in the ant Meranoplus diversus”, Physiological Entomology, 2009, 34, 93-97.
• E. D .Morgan, “Azadirachtin, a scientific gold mine”, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2009, 17, 4096-4105.
• E. D. Morgan, “Trail pheromones of ants”, Physiological Entomology, 2009, 34, 1-17.

Contributions to books

• E. D. Morgan and E. J. Allan, "Neem tissue culture: methods and production of limonoids" in The Neem Tree, edited by H. Schmutterer, The Neem Foundation, Mumbai, 2002, Chapter 2.4, pp. 117-126
• E. D. Morgan, "The place of neem among modern natural pesticides" in Neem Today and in the New Millennium, edited by O. Koul and S. Wahab. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2004, Chapter 2, pp. 21-32
• E. D. Morgan, “Biosynthesis in insects”, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2004, pp. 199.
• A. J. Mordue (Luntz), E. D. Morgan and A. J. Nisbet, “Azadirachtin, a natural product in insect control”, in ComprehensiveMolecular Insect Science, edited by L. Gilbert, K. Iatrou and S. S. Gill, Elsevier BV, Amsterdam, 2005, Vol. 6, pp. 117-135.
• E. D. Morgan and M.J. Williams, “Analysis of animal fats” in Chapter 16, Science and the Mary Rose, Volume 4, Before the Mast: life and death aboard the Mary Rose, of “The Archaeology of the Mary Rose”, The Mary Rose Trust, Portsmouth, 2005, pp. 631-632