Equipment for studying locomotion to be used in animal biomechanics animal welfare developmental biology and engineering research

为了在动物（包括人类）生物力学方面进行新的基础和应用研究，我们希望购买一系列步态分析设备（跑步机，测力板，运动分析摄像机，高速摄像机，荧光透视系统）。这将补充我们现有的运动研究设施，并将被安置在一个新的无线电筛选46 × 16米步态实验室正在建设（SRIF资金），为生物力学提供一个物理上理想和适应性强的研究环境。它将使来自许多相关学科的广泛用户能够进行基础动物力学，动物福利和行为，发育生物学和肌肉生理学的研究;包括首次使用转基因小鼠来研究影响肌肉/肌腱等发育的基因如何影响成人肌肉生理学。这项工作将开创这种研究的非侵入性方法。我们将研究肌肉骨骼结构和运动设计的各个方面，以及它们对损伤，功能障碍，疾病和衰老的影响。研究方法集中于测量骨骼、肌腱、肌肉和关节中的力和应力，因为机械载荷在这些组织的形成、维持和破坏中至关重要。机械负荷的确定源自运动测量（运动分析和高速视频）、运动期间的外力（测力板）（跑步机和跑道）和现有的肌纤维力学设备（超声和声显微测量）、活动（EMG）、成像（射线照相术、CT和两个MRI系统）和计算机模拟。具体来说，我们将能够记录全身视频，对陆地动物进行运动分析，从老鼠到马，以及自由奔跑或飞行的哺乳动物和鸟类;测量类似大小范围的动物的单个肢体地面反作用力;并使用视频荧光透视测量脊椎动物的骨骼运动，直到大象的大小。因此，我们将能够承担各种各样的研究应用程序，这些应用程序属于BBSRC的优先领域，包括衰老，数学生物学接口，综合哺乳动物生物学和整个动物生理学。此外，该设备将为我们提供评估和量化小鼠遗传修饰的机械后果的独特能力，完成从最近端到最衍生功能（基因到运动能力）的途径。该实验室是6名HEFCE资助人员的研究基地，也是另外7名HEFCE人员的主要研究活动领域。外部用户包括来自伦敦大学学院骨科、计算和医学物理学、剑桥计算、工程和动物学、约克心理学、巴斯体育科学、布里斯托地球科学的学者，以及来自英国、欧洲和美国大学的其他学者。实验室现有博士后5名，技术员2名，博士生13名。我们拥有BBSRC，DEFRA，皇家协会和EPSRC的资金。PI和共同申请人持有BBSRC RD奖学金; PI还持有皇家学会Wolfson研究优秀奖。核心组已发表论文88篇，其中6篇发表在《自然》杂志上（1篇为综述）。技术支持由全职HEFCE资助的实验室经理（MSc Zoology，Wageningen），电子设计工程师（与福利集团联合）和动物学研究生技术员提供。由于设备的周转、运行和维修费用都很低，这项建议将使资金得到很大的利用。这使我们能够最大限度地利用我们所有的设备，因为我们可以进行外部和机构资助的内部，试点和博士项目，并允许游客和合作者做同样的事情。该实验室是访问研究人员的焦点，因为我们以优秀的科学，我们的设备范围和我们欢迎访问科学家的政策而闻名。这项申请的成功将使我们能够适应和完成更广泛和更深入的研究，并保持在世界生物科学的前沿。

To undertake novel fundamental and applied research in animal (including human) biomechanics we wish to purchase a range of gait analysis equipment (treadmills, force plates, motion analysis cameras, high speed video cameras, fluoroscopy system). This will complement our existing locomotion research facilities and will be housed in a new radio-screened 46 x 16 metre gait lab being built (SRIF funding) to provide a physically ideal and adaptable research environment for biomechanics. It will enable a wide range of users from many related disciplines to undertake studies in basic animal mechanics, animal welfare and behaviour, developmental biology and muscle physiology; including, for the first time, using genetically modified mice to investigate how genes that affect the development of muscle/tendons etc influence adult muscle physiology. This work will pioneer non-invasive methods for this type of research. We will investigate aspects of musculoskeletal structure and design for locomotion, and their impact on injury, dysfunction, disease and ageing. The research methods concentrate on measuring forces and stresses in bones, tendons, muscles and joints because mechanical load is critical in the formation, maintenance and disruption of these tissues. Determination of mechanical load is derived from measurement of movement (Motion Analysis and high speed video), external forces (force plates) during exercise (treadmills and runways) and existing equipment for muscle fibre mechanics (ultrasound and sonomicrometry), activity (EMG), imaging (radiography, CT and two MRI systems) and computer simulation. Specifically, we will be able to record full-body video, Motion Analysis on terrestrial animals from mouse to horse on treadmills, and freely running or flying mammals and birds; measure individual limb ground reaction forces for animals of similar size range; and measure skeletal movements using video fluoroscopy of vertebrates up to the size of an elephant. We will thus be able to undertake a diverse range of research applications which fall within the BBSRC priority areas of ageing, maths biology interface, integrative mammalian biology and whole animal physiology. In addition, this equipment will provide us with the unique capability to assess and quantify the mechanical consequences genetic modifications in mice, completing the pathway from most proximal to most derived function (genes to locomotory ability). The lab is the research base for 6 HEFCE funded staff and an area of prime research activity for a further 7 HEFCE staff. External users include academics from UCL orthopaedics, computing and medical physics, Cambridge computing, engineering and zoology, York psychology, Bath sports science, Bristol earth sciences, and others from universities within the UK, Europe and the USA. Five post docs, 2 technicians and 13 PhD students are based in the lab. We hold BBSRC, DEFRA, Royal Society and EPSRC funding. The PI and a co-applicant hold BBSRC RD Fellowships; the PI also holds a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit award. The core group has published 88 papers including 6 in Nature (one a review). Technical support is provided by a full time HEFCE funded lab manager (MSc Zoology, Wageningen), an electronics design engineer (joint with Welfare group) and a zoology graduate technician. This proposal will give excellent value for money as equipment turnover, running and maintenance costs are low. This enables us to maximise utilisation of all our equipment since we can undertake external and institutionally funded internal, pilot and PhD projects and allow visitors and collaborators to do the same. The lab is a focus for visiting researchers because of our reputation for excellent science, our range of equipment and our policy of welcoming visiting scientists. Success in this application will enable us to accommodate and accomplish a greater breadth and depth of research and to remain at the forefront of world bioscience