Meeting Abstract

S5.1  Wednesday, Jan. 5  Introduction “Bioinspiration: Applying mechanical design to experimental biology” FLAMMANG, B.E.*; PORTER, M.E.; Harvard University bflammang@post.harvard.edu

The production of bioinspired and biomimetic constructions has fostered much collaboration between biologists and engineers, although the extent of biological accuracy employed in the designs produced has not always been a priority. Even the exact definitions of “bioinspired” and “biomimetic” differ among biologists, engineers, and industrial designers, leading to confusion regarding the level of integration and replication of biological principles and physiology. By any name, biologically-derived mechanical constructs have become an increasingly important research tool in experimental biology, offering the opportunity to focus research by creating model organism that can be easily manipulated to fill a desired parameter space of functional repertoires. Innovative researchers with both biological and engineering backgrounds have found ways to use biologically-derived models to explore the biomechanics of organisms from all kingdoms to answer a variety of different questions. Bringing together these biologists and engineers will hopefully result in an open discourse of techniques and fruitful collaborations for experimental and industrial endeavors.