biomechanics

In this study, the intrinsic viscoelastic mechanical behavior of a hierarchical bio-composite, structural bamboo material, was experimentally investigated and correlated with its microstructural constituents and molecular building blocks. The macroscopic viscoelastic responses of bulk bamboo at ambient temperature and dehydrated condition were evaluated through dynamic compression experiments with various loading frequencies, whereas the localized viscoelasticity of bamboo's microstructural phases, viz.

Recently, unusually high detachment rates of a myosin from actin were reported with a force spectroscopy technique. Here, we show that these high rates may be due to the coupling between bond breaking and state transition. Based on a kinetic model for single myosin, rates of bond breaking between myosin and actin at different nucleotide states are systematically extracted for the first time. Our results clearly indicate that myosins may adopt much higher transition rates than bond breaking rates at different nucleotide states at relatively low forces.

PhD project 2 (Reference: NGCM-0080)

Design and optimisation of bio-inspired programmable surfaces with active materials

Biotribology Group, nCATS
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Background

PhD project 1 (Reference: NGCM-0011)

Generalised asymptotic numerical methods for buckling instability problems in biological systems and bio-inspired morphing structures

Biotribology Group, nCATS
Faculty of Engineering and the Environment
University of Southampton, United Kingdom

Background

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DECATHLON is a French company which designs and sells sports goods. With about 900 shops all around the world, DECATHLON has more than 60000 employees, all passionate about sports, and generates a 7 billion euros turnover.

The capability to sense and respond to external mechanical stimuli at various timescales is essential to many physiological aspects in plants, including selfprotection, intake of nutrients and reproduction. Remarkably, some plants have evolved the ability to react to mechanical stimuli within a few seconds despite a lack of muscles and nerves. The fast movements of plants in response to mechanical stimuli have long captured the curiosity of scientists and engineers, but the mechanisms behind these rapid thigmonastic movements are still not understood completely.