This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow and a plan to broaden participation of groups under-represented in science. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Bradley Dickerson is ?The mechanics and control of a biological gyroscope." The host institution for this fellowship is the California Institute of Technology, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Michael Dickinson.
The aerial agility of insects is remarkable, especially if considering the biomechanical and physiological challenges associated with their small size. In flies, these maneuvers are initiated by the visual system and ended by gyroscopic organs called halteres. The halteres are small, dumbbell-shaped structures located behind the forewings that are evolutionarily derived from the wings. Like the wings, the halteres are flapping structures contolled by a small set of muscles. However, while the importance of the halteres in flight control is long known, the role of these tiny steering muscles during flight maneuvers remains unclear. The research aims to discover the principles flies use to control motion of the haltere and in turn their aerial maneuvers. It promises to aid the development of micro air vehicles able to navigate complicated aerial environments.
Through studying the expression of a genetically-encoded calcium sensor in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the Fellow is observing haltere steering muscle activity during tethered flight maneuvers. Newly developed computational techniques are being employed to reveal if muscle activation patterns reflect the muscles acting independently or in context-dependent groups. A more complete understanding of the haltere?s motor control from these experiments provides insight as to how insects can perform elegant behaviors using a limited set of muscles and expands our knowledge of the general principles of motor control. Moreover, the research addresses how hard-wired reflexes are modified by the nervous system to produce voluntary behaviors.
The Fellow mentors and serves as a role model for African-American and other underrepresented undergraduate students. Further educational outreach includes presentations to school groups through the Caltech Classroom Connection, the use of online multimedia to disseminate a podcast discussing current topics in science, and the development of informal presentations targeted at teenage audiences.
