Penn-led team reprograms social behavior in carpenter ants using epigenetic drugs

(University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine) In Florida carpenter ant colonies, distinct worker castes called minors and majors exhibit pronounced differences in social behavior throughout their lives. In a new study, a multi-institution team found that these caste-specific behaviors are not set in stone. Rather, this pioneering study shows that social behavior can be reprogrammed, indicating that an individual's epigenetic, not genetic, makeup determines behavior in ant colonies.