biomechanics

A new analysis of fossil footprints suggests that the 2-meter-tall, 4- to 5-meter-long carnivores that left them could run nearly 45 kilometers per hour, bolstering the evidence that at least some dinosaurs were speedy, agile hunters.

Researchers identify a role for PIEZO1 in tendon adaptation, and show that people with certain versions of the Piezo1 gene tend to be better jumpers.

Using their silk threads as a catapult, members of a family of orb-weaving arachnids rocket themselves and their webs through the air to capture prey.

A new study finds that the extinct European cave bear’s large sinuses represent a tradeoff between hibernation length and the flexibility of their diets.

A new study highlights the importance of the transverse arch in regulating the stiffness of the human foot.

Blue bottle flies use many different movements and a specific behavior sequence in order to stick a ceiling landing.

A robot model of a winged but flightless dinosaur suggests the dinosaur may have flapped its wings while moving on the ground.

Mantis shrimps’ remarkably swift kicks come from springs built into their dactyl clubs.

Animals’ tails swat away insects using both wind and whack.

Micrometer-scale fractures in elephant skin results from the way the epidermis grows.

The Nobel laureate was the first to identify an enzyme moving material across the cell membrane.

The jigsaw-shape cells found in the epidermis of many plants may serve to reduce mechanical stress on cell walls.

A robot’s gentle nudge could add just the right amount of force to improve walking for patients with mobility-impairing ailments such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and stroke.

Scientists are analyzing how factors such as the length and stiffness of artificial limbs affect performance in athletes with amputations.

Alena Grabowski, a University of Colorado Boulder researcher, discusses her motivations for studying the interface between biology and mechanics in prosthetic devices.

The wearable technology, akin to motorized leg braces, help children with physical disabilities extend their knees as they walk. 

Cells with the best traction on a substrate pull their neighbors toward firmer ground.

Applying a mechanical force that pulls on a cell stretches chromatin, facilitating transcription, scientists show.

The lizard’s saliva is thick enough to drag a cricket to its alimentary demise, scientists show.