Linking Biology and Physics through Biological Motion Analysis in Investigative Laboratories and Student Research

运动是生命的一个几乎普遍的特征，它可以告诉研究者有关生物物理学、生物学和行为参数的对象。在这个项目中，运动分析被用作展示基本生物和物理原理的一种方式，并向学生介绍使用多学科方法分析复杂系统。学生们正在制定协议，排除故障，并使用五个简单的运动分析站来识别重要的变量，这些站可以分析单个运动物体或点。然后，他们进入自动CellTrak运动分析站，可以在几分钟内对大量移动物体或点进行有效分析。处理后的数据然后下载到简单的运动分析站进行图形和统计分析。该项目的教育目标包括在生物系和物理系之间建立联系，利用运动分析作为向学生介绍跨学科科学研究方法的一种方式。学生的兴趣在生物学和物理学之间的边界上得到发展，其方式与这两个部门的利益相一致。该系提供研究性实验练习的能力正在提高，这些练习展示了生物学、物理学和计算机数据采集的基本原理，以及使用统计学分析数据的能力。教师的研究兴趣正与实际的课堂练习更紧密地联系在一起，这样学生就能清楚地看到课堂实验室所做的事情的相关性。这个项目最初的好处是影响了两门课程和学生的研究（包括独立学习和大二的研究），这些经历也成为催化剂，在其他课程中产生类似的主题。

Motion is a nearly universal feature of life that can inform the investigator about the biophysics, biology, and behavioral parameters of the subject. In this project, motion analysis is being used as a way to demonstrate basic biological and physical principles and to introduce students to the analysis of complex systems using a multidisciplinary approach. Students are developing protocols, troubleshooting them, and identifying the significant variables using five simple motion analysis stations that can analyze individual moving objects or points. They then proceed to an automated CellTrak Motion Analysis station that can perform an efficient analysis of large numbers of moving objects or points in a matter of minutes. The processed data is then downloaded to the simple motion analysis stations for graphical and statistical analyses. The project's educational objectives include Establishing links between the Biology and Physics Departments that use analysis of motion as a way to introduce students to an interdisciplinary approach to scientific investigations. Student interest is being developed in the boundary between biology and physics in a manner consistent with the interests of both departments. The departments ability to offer investigative laboratory exercises that demonstrate basic principles in biology, physics, and computer data acquisition, as well as the analysis of data using statistics is being improved. Faculty research interests are being more closely linked with actual classroom exercises so that students see clearly the relevance of what is done in the classroom laboratory. This project's initial benefits are affecting two courses and student research (both independent study and sophomore research) These experiences are also serving as catalysts for generating similar themes in other courses..