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

该行动资助2021财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学中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及其在不同环境条件下的热学和光学特性之间的联系。蚂蚁角质层和毛发的热特性的变化可能使它们在凉爽的环境中升温，在炎热的环境中保持凉爽。在亚利桑那州奇里卡华山脉沿着海拔梯度分析不同物种的热和光学特性模式，在北美（从加拿大到墨西哥）跨越纬度梯度分析不同物种内部的热和光学特性模式。作为对具有独特热/光学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热特性的课程材料，用于洛杉矶的高需求学校，并在同行评审的教育期刊上发表，并在主办机构和国家会议上为少数族裔学生举办文化响应指导和赠款写作讲习班。研究员将使用扫描电子显微镜分析蚂蚁角质层和毛发的微观结构，使用现有的博物馆收藏的广泛分布的北美蚂蚁物种和研究员在亚利桑那州西南研究站沿海拔梯度收集的标本。傅里叶变换红外热像仪、反射分光光度法（从紫外到中红外）和有限元法建模将用于分析蚂蚁表皮结构的热学和光学性质。利用本地气象站收集的环境数据，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，旨在通过以下方式提高代表性不足群体的参与度：1)与Noyce学者和Master Teacher Fellows合作开发K-12课程计划，用于洛杉矶高需求学校；2)将这些计划发表在同行评审和开放获取的教育期刊上。此外，该研究员将为加州州立大学多明格斯山分校和南加州大学的少数族裔博士后和学生扩大文化响应指导计划。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.