In this project the PI will elucidate two novel biological mechanisms for living systems to contend with particulate environments. Flying insects must avoid or negotiate droplets in rain and mist. Larger organisms use eyelashes to diver particle-laden flows from delicate organs such as the eyes. In parallel with the research efforts, the PI will use these familiar and highly visual topics to naturally guide an educational program to broaden the scope of biophysics past the traditional cellular level and increase its visibility to all audiences. The PI will study experimentally the interactions of mesoscale objects (mosquitoes and eyelashes) with particulates in a surrounding fluid medium. The following hypotheses based on preliminary work will be tested. (1) Insects survive collisions with raindrops by tumbling their bodies to reduce impact impact force. The universality and limits of this ability will be examined across a range of insect sizes. (2) Using high-speed video, the PI observes that mosquitoes are unable to stabilize their flight in fog. The failure of an otherwise robust system is surprising. The PI hypothesizes that gyroscopic signals from their halteres are overcome by signals created by inertial impact of fog drops and subsequent water accumulation. This hypothesis suggests a novel mechanism for the action of pesticides, and is of interest to his collaborators at the Navy Entomological Center. (3) Investigate how mosquitoes shed dew collected on their bodies using high frequency vibrational energy harvested from their wing flaps. The PI will conduct a parallel study on particle deposition on vertebrate surfaces, hypothesizing that mammalian and avian eyelashes divert incoming flows to reduce particle deposition onto the ocular surface. The PI will recruit undergraduates, high-school students and teachers from underrepresented groups. He will establish a photography internship at GT to increase the use of aesthetic and scientific photography in labs to facilitate scientific communication to the public. He will also teach "Living with particles," a new lab course on biophysics of locomotion. With a 10th-grade teacher, he will develop "Snakes on a Plane," one of a series of educational modules to teach Georgia Physical Standards. The PI will test and disseminate these modules by hosting students and teachers during "Wet Week," a weeklong workshop at our institution.
