Some of the ASU researchers seeking solutions to the most pressing environmental and societal challenges are studying the lives of bugs in pursuit of their goals. Among them is Ted Pavlic, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the  Bringing Ecology and Engineering Together Lab. Researchers on his team see possibilities for advances in nanomedicine and the use of nanobots being combined to provide applications in therapies cancer and other diseases. By studying ants’ various abilities, Pavlic and his colleagues have also designed decentralized systems for meeting the lighting and heating demands of smart buildings.