Good morning! We found leaf cutter ants! Leaf cutter ants are the basis of our research in Costa Rica. The ants live in a symbiotic relationship with fungi in their colonies. The ants cut leaves to feed to the fungus and then the ants feed the fungus to their young. Cameron Currie (U of WI-Madison) discovered that the ants also carry bacteria on their bodies that create antibiotics to keep their fungus garden healthy. Scientists from around the world (and us!) are trying to discover different antibiotics to help humans.
Ms. R