The crazy ants, officially called "Tawny crazy ants, " are omnivores that can take over an area by both killing what's there and starving out what they don't kill, said Ed LeBrun, a research associate with the Texas invasive species research program at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in the College of Natural Sciences.

CNN: 'Crazy ants' a threat in southern U.S.

The National Severe Storm Laboratory, which does a lot of field research, is located there for a very good reason.

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"My current research interests lie in the field of regenerative medicine, which, simply put, means growing tissues in the laboratory with the aim of safely implanting them when the body cannot heal itself, " he explained.

BBC: Prof Iain Whitaker