Social immunity in ants

We study the collective disease defence of ant societies against fungal and bacterial pathogens. We observe the behaviour of healthy ants towards pathogen-exposed and diseased nestmates and determine, how this social contact affects their individual immunity and colony-level disease dynamics.

CURRENT RESEARCH

•    Social vaccination
•    Pathogen detection abilities
•    Host-parasite coevolution
•    Experience in hygienic tasks
•    Epidemiology

FUNDING SOURCES