|
Introduction
A satellite symposium having the same title as this article surveyed recent
important developments in the comparative, environmental, ecological, and
evolutionary aspects of biophysics, biomechanics, and bioengineering
(exclusive of genetic engineering and nanotechnology) as part of the
scientific program of the 35th International Congress of Physiological
Sciences of IUPS. The symposium took place March 28-30, 2005 on the campus
of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA. About 60
people participated, including a substantial number of graduate students and
recent postdoctoral researchers.
The 23 invited speakers included in the scientific program were divided into
four groups, each of which considered aspects of one of the symposium’s four
main themes: Locomotion and Motility; Muscle; Internal Flows, and Materials.
There was also a group of 10 contributed papers (presented as posters) that
discussed other aspects of these thematic areas.
This article summarizes major features of the organization and scientific
program of the symposium.
Goals and Objectives
The evolutionarily developed adaptive properties of organisms, both plants
and animals, are based upon physical principles and properties as well as
upon chemical principles and properties. Studies of these biophysical and
biomechanical adaptations form the evolutionarily based, ecologically
relevant subfields of biophysics and bioengineering.
There is much that is useful that we can learn from nature. Organisms form a
huge natural library of well-tested, sophisticated approaches and,
sometimes, solutions to many of the design and process problems faced by
human engineers. Reverse engineering of natural systems can be highly
instructive and informative.
The full development of these parts of bioengineering requires active study
in both subfields. Both subfields contribute importantly to understanding
how organisms work in their own environments and how organisms may be used
as model systems valuable in a range of other contexts.
The symposium was innovative in that it explicitly brought together these
aspects of biophysics and bioengineering, which are usually separate from
each other. The scientific program presented a sampling of important recent
results from a variety of cutting edge research programs in both subfields.
There were both invited papers and contributed posters. Invited speakers
were asked to make presentations that highlighted both the interdisciplinary
aspects of their work and the opportunities for new and stronger research
synergies that derive from their results.
Participants in the symposium had many informal opportunities to meet and
confer with colleagues, fellow students, and others from a wide variety of
teaching and research institutions both domestic and international. These
networking opportunities were among the most important contributions that
the conference made to enhancing and improving scientific, engineering, and
educational activities.
Organization and Agenda
1) When: three days, March 28 - 30, 2005.
2) Where: California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA.
3) Number of attendees: approximately 60 people.
4) Target audiences: active research and teaching personnel in the areas of
biophysics, bioengineering, comparative and biomedical physiology,
functional morphology, and anatomy; undergraduate and graduate students and
postdoctoral researchers in these areas; interested media people.
5) Organizing Committee: Malcolm S. Gordon (UCLA) and Morteza Gharib
(Caltech), co-chairs; Michael Dickinson (Caltech), Jay R. Hove (University
of Cincinnati), Geoffrey Spedding (University of Southern California),
Richard Zimmer (UCLA). Staff support: Option of Bioengineering, Caltech.
Logistics support: Conference Services, Caltech.
6) Cosponsoring organizations: Commission on Comparative and Evolutionary
Physiology (IUPS); National Science Foundation (US); Office of Naval
Research (US); American Physiological Society (US); and Company of
Biologists (UK). The organizers thank each of these organizations for their
generous support.
7) Agenda: 23 invited papers presented in four single sessions, morning and
afternoon each of two full days. Poster session for 10 contributed papers
first afternoon.
8) Themes for invited paper sessions: Locomotion and Motility; Muscle;
Internal Flows; Materials.
9) Publication: scientific program is summarized here. Abstracts are posted
on the symposium website (http://www.its.caltech.edu/~iupscit; website to be maintained for one year after
conclusion of the conference); they are also included on a CD-ROM provided
to all participants. Copies of the CD-ROM may be available for interested
people. Please make a request by email to the Conference Coordinator, Martha Salcedo: msalcedo@caltech.edu.
Invited Speakers and Titles of Their Presentations
This list is arranged according to the four themes for sessions. Names are
in the order in which presentations were made.
Locomotion and Motility
-
Daniel Grunbaum (Biological Oceanography, University of Washington):
“Ecological consequences of biomechanical constraints on swimming and
sensing in protists;”
-
John Dabiri (Aeronautics and Bioengineering, Caltech): “Jellyfish swimming
and the dynamics of animal vortex wakes, revisited;”
-
Michael Dickinson (Option of Bioengineering, Caltech): “The control of
aerodynamic maneuvers in fruit flies;”
-
Z. Jane Wang (Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Cornell University):
“Fore and hind wing interactions in dragonfly flight;”
-
Geoffrey Spedding (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of
Southern California): “The aerodynamics of small wings: performance
measurements and analysis;”
-
Naomi Kato (Marine Design and Engineering, Tokai University): “Median and
paired fin controllers for biomimetic marine vehicles;”
Muscle
-
Andrew Biewener (Concord Field Station, Harvard University): “Muscle
dynamics during locomotion: from active power modulation and force economy
to passive dynamics;”
-
Graham Askew (Biology, University of Leeds): “Power modulation in bird
flight muscles;”
-
Hans Hoppeler (Anatomy, University of Berne): “Functional, structural and
molecular consequences of eccentric muscle work;”
-
Robert Full (Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley):
“Biological inspiration: artificial muscles and robotics;”
-
Douglas Swank (Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute): “Designing
molecular motors: myosin structural regions that determine muscle mechanical
properties;”
-
V. Reggie Edgerton (Physiological Sciences, University of California, Los
Angeles): “Elements of recovery of locomotion following spinal cord injury.”
Internal flows
-
N. Michele Holbrook (Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard
University): “Masters of microfluidics: hydrodynamics of fluid transport in
trees;”
-
Keith A. Mott (Biology, Utah State University): “Information processing by stomatal networks;”
-
S. Laurie Sanderson (Biology, College of William and Mary): “Biological
vs. industrial crossflow filtration: ways to avoid a dead end;”
-
Jay Hove (Integrative Genomics, University of Cincinnati): “Flow-induced
cardiac development;”
-
Ghassan Kassab (Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine):
“A bioengineering model of coronary circulation.”
-
Materials
-
Stanislav Gorb (Biological Microtri-bology, Max Planck Institute of
Developmental Biology): “Bioinspired attachment devices: what we can learn
from evolution;”
-
Cheryl Hayashi (Biology, University of California, Riverside): “Spider
silk: design, performance, and evolution;”
-
John Gosline (Zoology, University of British Columbia): “Spider silk or
hagfish silk, that is the question: alternate routes to the production of
high performance protein fibers;”
-
Margaret McFall-Ngai (Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of
Wisconsin, Madison): Fiat lux: convergence in the biochemical and molecular
design of eyes and photophores;”
-
Adam Summers (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California,
Irvine): “Building for strength and stiffness with a viscoelastic material -
secrets of the cartilaginous skeleton;”
-
David A. Tirrell (Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Caltech): “A
bioengineering approach to materials synthesis and design.”
Contributed Papers
-
These papers are listed alphabetically by names of first authors.
-
A. Cammarato, J.A. Suggs, C.M. Dambacher, and S.I. Bernstein (San Diego
State University): “Alternative versions of the myosin S2 hinge affect the
functional and structural properties of indirect flight muscle;”
-
W.J. Crookes-Goodson, L. Ding, J. Horwitz, and M.J. McFall-Ngai
(University of Wisconsin, Madison and University of California, Los
Angeles): “Reflection in the squid Euprymna scolopes is achieved by
structural platelets composed of a highly unusual family of proteins called
reflectins;”
-
M.N. Dean and A.P. Summers (University of California, Irvine): “Uniform
strain in broad muscles: a new twist on tendons;”
-
A. Garza-Gossett, C.Y. Li, and V.A. Ravi (California Polytechnic
Institute, Pomona): “Spider silk-moisture interactions;”
-
D.I. Goldman, J.C. Spagna, R.J. Full, P.C. Lin, and D.E. Koditschek
(University of California, Berkeley and University of Pennsylvania):
“Arthropod locomotion on a challenging substrate using a distributed foot;”
-
L.K. Jordan (University of California, Los Angeles): “Batoid feeding
behavior: prey preference, detection, and capture mechanics;”
-
B.W. Kot (University of California, Los Angeles): “Bolus rebound
kinematics during engulfment feeding in the rorqual whales;”
-
D.V. Lauritzen, M.S. Gordon, and A.M. Wiktorowicz (University of
California, Los Angeles): “Swimming biomechanics and kinematics in aracanin
boxfishes;”
-
G. Ribak, D. Weihs, and Z. Arad (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology):
“Dynamic control of thrust in the paddling of cormorants during horizontal
submerged swimming”
-
A.M. Wiktorowicz and M.S. Gordon (University of California, Los Angeles):
“Biomechanics and kinematics of swimming in two species of pufferfish,
Diodon holocanthus and Arothron hispidus.”
 |
| Activity at
the APS booth at the IUPS Congress. |
|
