MEDICINE : ANT HONEY USED IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN MEDICINE COULD INSPIRE POWERFUL NEW ANTIBIOTICS

It's a first for Western science, but Indigenous Australians have been using the honeypot ant medicinally for thousands of years

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A strange species of Australian ant produces honey with antimicrobial powers, killing bacteria and fungus species, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Sydney, is the first to investigate the medicinal benefits of ant honey. This is not an original discovery, however. Australian honeypot ants have been used in food and medicine by First Nations people for thousands of years.

The Australian honeypot ant, Camponotus inflatus, is found in desert areas in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The researchers hope that identifying the particular antimicrobial compounds in the ant honey could help to develop new antibiotics.