For the past year, a revolutionary new platform known as Antscan has been making unprecedented strides in the study of ants with its micrometer-resolution reconstructions of ant specimens. A creative group of researchers has created Antscan. This interactive tool lets users examine insects at unprecedented levels of detail, exposing their internal structures and unique anatomical features. The project was born out of the Global Ant Biodiversity Inquest, an effort where researchers gathered long-stored ant samples from an array of museum collections.
The team scanned 2,200 ant specimens with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). They achieved this remarkable feat at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s synchrotron light source facility in Germany. That cutting edge technology allowed researchers to produce detailed 3D virtual models of 792 ant species. They included all of the currently recognized ant diversity quite thoroughly, with good representation across 212 genera. We’ve worked hard to make the resulting dataset publicly available and standardized, to guarantee accessibility for scientific research and education.
Innovative Technology Behind Antscan
By using synchrotron micro-CT, Antscan is able to record the complex internal anatomy of ants in just a few seconds. Now, thanks to infrared technology, all armored exoskeletons of these insects are exposed. It also exposes their muscles, nerves, digestive tracts and even their needle-like stingers. This fine level of detail enables researchers to search for anatomical variations across the entire family tree of ants. Even more importantly, it enables them to identify patterns like never before.
The new Antscan platform allows users to dive into an interactive, online portal. There, they can rotate, zoom in, and virtually “dissect” insects. This new degree of interactivity is what takes the STEM learning experience to the next level for scientists and non-scientists alike. Researchers and educators can utilize this resource for outreach and educational purposes, fostering a broader interest in entomology and biodiversity.
“It is an extremely rich dataset that can be used for a number of different applications in science, but also for the arts and outreach and education.” – Julian Katzke
Broader Implications for Research
Antscan is poised to ignite a revolution in morphological research. This transition will be similar to the changes brought about in the field of genomics, through the efforts of large sequencing initiatives. The platform supercharges our knowledge about ant biology. It’s beyond those cosmetic uses that CRISPR holds the most exciting potential in other areas of biology.
Researchers have already demonstrated the utility of Antscan by examining the distribution of a biomineral armor layer in ants, showcasing how this platform can facilitate novel discoveries in the field. More scientists are exploring the dataset. With it they’ll surely have a chance to discover all sorts of new patterns and insights, pushing the forefronts of biological research.
“This is kind of like having a genome for shape.” – Evan Economo
“I would really like to see these big libraries of organismal form one day be useful for people in robotics and engineering, so they can mine these data for new kinds of biomechanical designs.” – Evan Economo
Enhancing Museum Collections and Public Engagement
Using tools like Antscan to increase the accessibility and value of museum collections is an exciting and important step in the right direction. By making it easier to interact with these specimens digitally, the project fosters increased involvement by scientists and citizen scientists. Collaborative efforts to digitize museum collections can significantly enhance their value by allowing diverse audiences to interact with scientific materials.
“The more people that access and work with the stuff in our museums, whether it’s physically or digitally, the greater value they add.” – David Blackburn
Automated image-processing pipelines and robotics have completely changed CT scanning. This infusion of know-how from industry has added an important industrial focus and expertise to the scientific mission. The close collaboration between the creative disciplines within the project demonstrates the ways that highly developed and sometimes innovative technology can support and augment traditional research processes.
“This project adds an industrial dimension to CT scanning by combining robotics, standardized sampling, automated image-processing pipelines, and machine learning.” – Vladimir Blagoderov
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