NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Macrophysiological patterns in the thermal and optical properties of ant cuticular structures

2021 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：蚂蚁表皮结构热和光学特性的宏观生理模式

• 批准号: 2109399
• 负责人: Meghan Barrett
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Barrett, Meghan
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-01 至 2024-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2109399&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The project seeks to understand the connection between the structure of ant hairs and cuticles and their thermal and optical properties in variable environmental conditions. Variation in the thermal properties of ant cuticles and hairs may allow them to heat up in cool environments and stay cool in hot environments. Patterns in thermal and optical properties will be analyzed across species along an elevational gradient in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona, and within species across latitudinal gradients in North America (from Canada to Mexico). As the first survey of biodiversity in cuticular structures with unique thermal/optical properties, this project will inspire engineering applications for global thermal and energy challenges (solar energy capture, radiative cooling, biomimetic materials, etc.). The Fellow will also develop curricular materials about thermal properties of living organisms to be used in high-need Los Angeles schools and published in peer-reviewed education journals as well as hosting culturally responsive mentoring and grant writing workshops for minoritized students at the host institutions and national conferences.The Fellow will use scanning electron microscopy to analyze the microstructure of ant cuticles and hairs, using both existing museum collections of widespread North American ant species and specimens collected by the Fellow along an elevational gradient at the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona. Fourier-transform infrared thermography, reflectance spectrophotometry (from ultraviolet to mid-infrared), and finite element method modeling will be used to analyze the thermal and optical properties of ant cuticular structures. Environmental data collected using local weather stations will be used to understand if solar radiation and temperature can predict the optical/thermal properties of ant cuticular structures. The research is integrated with an education plan aimed at increasing participation of underrepresented groups by 1) developing K-12 lesson plans in partnership with Noyce Scholars and Master Teacher Fellows to be used in high-need Los Angeles schools, and 2) publishing these plans in peer-reviewed and open access education journals. In addition, the Fellow will expand culturally responsive mentoring programs for minoritized postdocs and students at California State University Dominguez Hills and University of Southern California.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.

这项行动资助了2021财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。该项目旨在了解蚂蚁毛发和角质层的结构与其在可变环境条件下的热和光学特性之间的联系。蚂蚁表皮和毛发的热特性的变化可能使它们在凉爽的环境中变热，在炎热的环境中保持凉爽。将在亚利桑那州的奇里卡瓦山脉（Chiricahua Mountains）沿沿着海拔梯度的物种之间以及在北美（从加拿大到墨西哥）沿纬度梯度的物种之间分析热特性和光学特性的模式。作为对具有独特热/光特性的表皮结构生物多样性的首次调查，该项目将激发全球热和能源挑战（太阳能捕获，辐射冷却，仿生材料等）的工程应用。该研究员还将开发有关生物体热特性的课程材料，供高需求的洛杉矶学校使用，并在同行评审的教育期刊上发表，并在主办机构和全国会议上为少数民族学生举办文化上敏感的指导和赠款撰写讲习班。利用现有的博物馆收藏的广泛分布的北美蚂蚁物种和标本收集的研究员沿沿着海拔梯度在亚利桑那州西南研究站。傅立叶变换红外热成像，反射分光光度法（从紫外到中红外），和有限元法建模将被用来分析蚂蚁表皮结构的热和光学特性。使用当地气象站收集的环境数据将用于了解太阳辐射和温度是否可以预测蚂蚁表皮结构的光学/热特性。该研究与一项教育计划相结合，旨在增加代表性不足的群体的参与，方法是：1）与诺伊斯学者和名师研究员合作开发K-12课程计划，用于高需求的洛杉矶学校，2）在同行评审和开放获取的教育期刊上发布这些计划。此外，该研究员将扩大对加州州立大学多明格斯山分校和南加州大学的少数民族博士后和学生的文化敏感的指导计划。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。