Scientists from Rensselaer and the University of Vermont have discovered a key molecular mechanism that allows tiny flies and other "no-see-ums" to whirl their wings at a dizzying rate of up to 1,000 times per second. The findings were reported in last week's online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"We have determined important details of the biochemical reaction by which the fastest known muscle type - insect flight muscle - powers flight," said Douglas Swank, assistant professor of biology at Rensselaer and lead author of the PNAS paper.
The findings will help researchers gain a better understanding of how chemical energy is converted into muscle movements, such as human heart muscle pumping blood. The research also could lead to novel insights into heart disease, and might ultimately serve in the development of gene therapies targeted toward correcting mutations in proteins that detrimentally alter the speed at which heart muscle fibers contract.
Since insects have been remarkably successful in adapting to a great range of physical and biological environments, in large part due to their ability to fly, the research also will interest researchers studying the evolution of flight, Swank noted. The project is supported by a three-year $240,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health and a four-year $260,000 grant from the American Heart Association.........
"We have determined important details of the biochemical reaction by which the fastest known muscle type - insect flight muscle - powers flight," said Douglas Swank, assistant professor of biology at Rensselaer and lead author of the PNAS paper.
The findings will help researchers gain a better understanding of how chemical energy is converted into muscle movements, such as human heart muscle pumping blood. The research also could lead to novel insights into heart disease, and might ultimately serve in the development of gene therapies targeted toward correcting mutations in proteins that detrimentally alter the speed at which heart muscle fibers contract.
Since insects have been remarkably successful in adapting to a great range of physical and biological environments, in large part due to their ability to fly, the research also will interest researchers studying the evolution of flight, Swank noted. The project is supported by a three-year $240,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health and a four-year $260,000 grant from the American Heart Association.........
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