New Insights into the Complex Neurochemistry of Ants
Published:07 Jun.2023 Source:Medical University of Vienna
Ants' brains are amazingly sophisticated organs that enable them to coordinate complex behavior patterns such as the organization of colonies. Now, Researchers from MedUni Vienna, the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the University of Bremen have developed a method that allows them to study ants' brain chemistry and gain insights into the insects' neurobiological processes.
The key feature of the new method is that a correlative approach is used to analyse data. This means that 3D maps of the distribution of neuropeptides and 3D anatomical models are precisely collated, generating two maps that help to navigate the ants’ brains. Building on previous studies of MS imaging of neuropeptides in invertebrate model systems, this approach represents a promising method for studying fundamental neurobiological processes by visualising distortion-free 3D neurochemistry in its own complex anatomical environment.
The findings could help to explain the evolution of social behavior in the animal kingdom, and shed light on the biochemistry of certain hormone systems that have developed similarly in both ants and humans.