Some ant architects design a colony to cut the risk of disease. Humans, take note!
Leif Parsons for NPR
Ants are many things. They're hard workers and intensely social. They're quite strong for their size. And now they may also be a source of architectural inspiration too — for designing spaces that reduce the spread of disease.
This discovery comes from a new study focused on Metarhizium brunneum, a common and lethal fungus for insects, including the black garden ant. For this fungus to propagate, it kills its host, taking over the host ant's dead body and transforming it into something called a sporulating cadaver.
"It's basically completely covered in spores and is highly infectious," says Nathalie Stroeymeyt, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Bristol.
Sponsor Message
In research in the journal Science , she and
Continue Reading on NPR
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.