Damon Runyon Researchers

In simple terms, cancer arises when some cells in our body stop cooperating with the rest and start growing uncontrollably, threatening the whole organism. This breakdown in cooperation is similar to how certain beetles (called myrmecophiles) infiltrate ant colonies and selfishly use their resources, acting like a “cheater” in a cooperative society. Both cancer cells in healthy tissue and these beetle invaders in ant colonies represent a failure of cooperation, whether among cells in an organism or individuals in a colony. Ant colonies, like multicellular organisms, rely on strict controls to function properly, and when those controls are bypassed, the whole system is at risk. By recreating a key “cheating” trait in beetles—disabling their surface chemical signals to let them sneak into ant colonies—the project aims to reveal universal principles about how cooperation breaks down and how systems might evolve defenses against such threats. These insights could help to understand the fundamental properties of cancer and how to design better strategies to stop it. Dr. Loh received her PhD from George Washington University, Washington D.C., and her BS from National University of Singapore, Singapore.