Muscle fibre mechanical testing apparatus

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The purpose of this RTI grant is to acquire a muscle fibre mechanical testing apparatus that allows for mechanical testing simultaneous with evaluation of sarcomere kinematics. This system is designed for the continuous measurement of force, stiffness and structural changes in muscle cells during contraction. Single muscle fibres are the ideal preparation to achieve the applicants’ collective research goals, as single muscle fibres allow for direct comparisons to be made between mechanical, structural and biochemical properties of muscle. High speed sarcomere length monitoring will enable investigation of intrinsic structural properties during contraction which are often only investigated at rest (i.e. prior to, or following contraction). The acquisition of this infrastructure is absolutely essential for the applicants’ NSERC supported research programs to achieve optimal success. The four PIs on this RTI grant application conduct productive research programs at the University of Guelph. Their programs span multi-dimensional scales ranging from whole-body to tissue and cell-level mechanics and physiology, and include basic, applied, and translational approaches. The ability for these researchers to study the structure and function of muscle is currently prevented by the absence of an appropriate active contractile single fibre testing system. As such, the requested muscle fibre mechanical testing apparatus will ensure major developments within each of the PIs laboratories. Specifically, acquisition of this system will enable the PIs to answer fundamental questions related to: 1. inter-relationships between skeletal (e.g. spine) mechanical properties and muscle contractile function; 2. mechanisms regulating muscle blood flow and consequences for muscle mechanical function; 3. molecular pathways that regulate myofilament contractile function; and 4. mechanisms that control age-related alterations in muscle mechanical function. Without this infrastructure, these lines of questioning cannot be adequately pursued. The new infrastructure presents the opportunity to investigate intricate muscle contractile properties in the same department across a variety of preparations (e.g., skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, cardiac muscle) and research questions, providing a unique training experience at a Canadian institution. With the applicants’ strong record of HQP training, this system will be in very high demand and will be used to train HQP at all career stages, positioning them perfectly for today’s competitive academic and industrial environment. The combined research programs of the applicants will situate the University of Guelph and Canada as a leading research front in the rapidly growing field of interdisciplinary muscle-based research.