Collaborative Research: Moving with muscles vs. springs: evolutionary biomechanics of extremely fast, small systems

合作研究：肌肉运动与弹簧运动：极快、小型系统的进化生物力学

• 批准号: 2019314
• 负责人: Alfred Crosby
• 金额: $ 0.98万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2019314&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Moving; muscles; vs.

Movement in biology is most often associated with motor-like mechanisms, such as muscle contractions in animals or hydraulics in plants. However, organisms have another option for generating movement: they can use motor-like mechanisms to load energy into elastic structures, such that pre-loaded, rubber band-like elastic structures generate the movement, instead of motors. Latch-mediated spring actuation generates movement largely or exclusively using stored elastic energy and incorporates latches to mediate energy release, much like controlled release of a coiled spring. This research examines how the size of an organism may determine whether movement is driven by stored elastic energy or direct motor action. Addressing this topic will improve understanding of fundamental physical limits on biological systems and how those limits influence development and evolution. Biological latch-mediated spring actuation generates among the fastest movements ever recorded, which exceed the current capabilities of human engineering to produce extremely fast movements in small, reusable devices. The discoveries from this research can help develop novel engineering devices and materials. This interdisciplinary team of research labs spans biology, physics, and materials science, and will train undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers across four colleges and universities. The research activities will engage the broader public through a Research Experience for Teachers program each summer, alongside expansion of the Muser software program, which helps diverse undergraduates access research experiences in an equitable and transparent way. Latch-mediated spring actuation uses materials, not motors, to generate extremely fast movement in small systems. Energy is loaded into materials prior to movement and latches control loading and release of energy. This research examines the transitions between motor-driven and spring-driven movement within and across organisms. Across growth and development within species, experiments and modeling will test how mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) maintain their mechanical capabilities and exhibit transitions between motor- and spring-driven movement across eight orders of magnitude of accelerated mass - a key predictor of the physics-based transition between effective motor- and spring-driven movement in any system. Across mantis shrimp species, variation in spring and latch components will be analyzed through statistical comparisons of the tempo (rate of evolutionary change) and mode (pattern of evolutionary change) to establish the key biomechanical factors limiting and promoting evolutionary diversification. Across the tree of life, the influence of accelerated mass and materials on origins and diversification will be tested using phylogenetic comparative analyses. Variation, transitions, and tuning of these mechanisms are informative for engineers designing small, fast, re-usable mechanisms at these extreme spatial and temporal scales. Undergraduates, graduate students, and a postdoctoral researcher will receive interdisciplinary training across the four labs. A Research Experience for Teachers program will provide interdisciplinary research experience and course development centered on these inherently engaging systems. The researchers will use, promote, and develop an open access software platform called Muser which is designed to enhance access and equity for undergraduate research experience.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

生物学运动通常与运动样机制有关，例如动物的肌肉收缩或植物中的液压。 但是，有机体还有另一个可产生运动的选择：它们可以使用类似电机的机制将能量加载到弹性结构中，从而使预载的，橡皮筋样弹性结构产生运动，而不是电动机。闩锁介导的弹簧驱动主要使用储存的弹性能产生运动，并融合了闩锁以介导能量释放，就像盘绕弹簧的受控释放一样。 这项研究研究了生物体的大小如何确定运动是由储存的弹性能量还是直接运动作用驱动。解决该主题将提高人们对生物系统的基本物理限制以及这些限制如何影响发展和进化的理解。 生物闩锁介导的春季驱动是有史以来最快的动作之一，它超过了人类工程的当前功能，可在小型可重复使用的设备中产生极快的动作。这项研究的发现可以帮助开发新颖的工程设备和材料。这个研究实验室的跨学科团队涵盖了生物学，物理学和材料科学，并将培训四个学院和大学的本科，研究生和博士后研究人员。研究活动将通过每年夏天的教师计划的研究经验来吸引更广泛的公众，并扩展Muser Software计划，这有助于以公平且透明的方式访问研究经验。闩锁介导的春季驱动使用材料而不是电动机来在小型系统中产生极快的运动。能量在移动之前将能量加载到材料中，并锁存控制能量的加载和释放。这项研究研究了在生物体内部和跨生物体内部和弹簧驱动运动之间的过渡。在物种内的生长和发育中，实验和建模将测试如何维持其机械能力，并在八个数量级的加速质量范围内保持其机械能力，并表现出运动和弹簧驱动的运动之间的过渡，这是任何系统中有效的运动和弹簧驱动运动之间物理基于物理的过渡的关键预测指标。在整个螳螂虾物种中，将通过统计比较（进化变化的速率）和模式（进化变化的模式）来分析春季和闩锁成分的变化，以建立关键的生物力学因素限制并促进进化多样性。在整个生命之树中，将使用系统发育比较分析测试加速质量和材料对起源和多样化的影响。这些机制的变化，过渡和调整对于在这些极端的空间和时间尺度上设计小型，快速，可重复使用的机制的工程师提供了信息。本科生，研究生和博士后研究人员将在四个实验室中接受跨学科培训。教师计划的研究经验将提供跨学科的研究经验和课程发展，以这些固有的引人入胜的系统为中心。研究人员将使用，促进和开发一个名为Muser的开放访问软件平台，该平台旨在增强本科研究经验的访问和公平性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响来通过评估来支持的。