June 14, 2013

Researchers unearth bioenergy potential in leaf-cutter ant communities



As spring warms up Wisconsin, humans aren't the only ones tending their gardens.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Bacteriology, colonies of leaf-cutter ants cultivate thriving communities of fungi and bacteria using freshly cut plant material.

While these fungus gardens are a source of food and shelter for the ants, for researchers, they are potential models for better biofuel production.