Ant trails

With the aid of image analysis every scent mark within an ant trail can now be identified

Inside nest

The majority of ants spend the majority of their life within the dark underground environment of the nest...

Food dissemination

The altruistic behavior of ants towards their colony members is portraied in this food sharing behavior.

Cooperative transport

Ants are able to coordinate their forces to carry a large food item that is too heavy for any one of them.

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Almost everyone is fascinated by ants; their numbers, cooperative skills, efficiency, apparent know-how and elegance are just too difficult to miss.  Dropping to your knees for a closer look may prove to be counterproductive: interactions are too many to grasp, individual ants are difficult to follow, and when one finally manages to focus on one - she often appears to be somewhat disoriented. Such characteristics  describe much of the biological world as it is composed of dense, communicating, and difficult to understand ensembles.
In our lab we combine experiments with theory, lab with field work, technological solutions with data analysis, and pencil scribbling with nest digging to try and take on the challenging task of observing ants.