Fungus That Tastes Just Right (IMAGE) DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Caption Leaf-cutter ants carry leaves to fungal gardens. The gardens degrade leaves and produce nutrients that feed young ants and garden workers. PNNL researchers are exploring how the fungal gardens produce useful compounds from plant biomass. Plant material is hard to break down into its structural components, but the fungal garden efficiently breaks down these plant polymers and makes nutrients from the released monomers. Glucose molecules (red hexagons at the bottom) liberated from cellulose are biofuel precursor molecules. Credit Illustration by Nathan Johnson | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Usage Restrictions None License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.