Muscle fibre mechanical testing apparatus

该RTI赠款的目的是获得一种肌纤维力学测试仪器，该仪器允许在评估肌节运动学的同时进行力学测试。该系统设计用于连续测量收缩过程中肌肉细胞的力、刚度和结构变化。单肌纤维是实现申请人集体研究目标的理想准备，因为单肌纤维允许在肌肉的机械、结构和生物化学性质之间进行直接比较。高速肌节长度监测将使得能够研究收缩期间的固有结构特性，其通常仅在静止时（即，收缩之前或之后）进行研究。获得这种基础设施对于申请人的NSERC支持的研究项目取得最佳成功是绝对必要的。 这四个PI RTI赠款申请进行生产性研究计划在圭尔夫大学。他们的课程涵盖从全身到组织和细胞水平的力学和生理学的多维尺度，包括基础，应用和转化方法。这些研究人员研究肌肉结构和功能的能力目前由于缺乏适当的主动收缩单纤维测试系统而受到阻碍。因此，所要求的肌纤维机械测试仪器将确保每个PI实验室内的重大发展。具体而言，收购这一系统将使PI回答有关的基本问题：1。骨骼（例如脊柱）机械特性和肌肉收缩功能之间的相互关系; 2.调节肌肉血流的机制和肌肉机械功能的后果; 3.调节肌丝收缩功能的分子途径;和4.控制与年龄相关的肌肉机械功能改变的机制。如果没有这种基础设施，就无法充分进行这些问题。 新的基础设施提供了一个机会，可以在同一部门的各种准备工作中研究复杂的肌肉收缩特性（例如，骨骼肌，平滑肌，心肌）和研究问题，在加拿大机构提供独特的培训经验。凭借申请人在HQP培训方面的良好记录，该系统将受到非常高的需求，并将用于在所有职业阶段培训HQP，使他们完全适应当今竞争激烈的学术和工业环境。申请人的联合研究计划将使圭尔夫大学和加拿大成为快速发展的跨学科肌肉研究领域的领先研究前沿。

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.