To develop such an extensive virtual library, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology scientist Julian Katzke and associates sourced ethanol-preserved ant specimens from partner organizations, museum collections and specialists around the globe.

After the scientists arranged the specimens by types and caste, they brought them to the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany for high-throughput X-ray micro-CT scanning, which is equivalent to medical CT scans however in much greater zoom.

A synchrotron particle accelerator produced a high-intensity X-ray beam to quickly scan a substantial variety of specimens, and a robotic sample changer turned and switched out the specimens every 30 seconds.

This allowed the production of 2D image stacks that might then be utilized to build 3D designs.

While helpful, the raw image files portrayed ant specimens in bent positions– a far cry from the realistic designs that the researchers wanted to develop.

The 3D images expose internal structures like muscles, nerve systems, digestion systems and stingers at micrometer resolution.

The designs can quickly be animated or included into virtual truth worlds for research study, education or home entertainment.

“We’ve approximated that if we were to perform this task with a lab-based CT scanner, it would take 6 years of constant operation,” Dr. Katzke stated.

“With the setup at KIT, we scanned 2,000 specimens in a single week.”

“To do this by hand would have taken years, so without these computational tools it generally would never ever have actually been done,” included Professor Evan Economo, a scientist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Maryland.

Called Antscan, this task might work as a plan for future digitization efforts– not simply for ants, however for a variety of types.

“The worth of this research study is not just about ants– it’s much wider,” Professor Economo stated.

“When specimens are digitized, we can construct libraries of organisms that can improve their usage from clinical labs to class to Hollywood studios.”

The group’s work was released today in the journal Nature Methods

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J. Katzke et alHigh-throughput phenomics of worldwide ant biodiversity. Nat Methodsreleased online March 5, 2026; doi: 10.1038/ s41592-026-03005-0