3D visualization processes for recreating and studying organismal form.

The study of biological form is a vital goal of evolutionary biology and functional morphology. We review an emerging set of methods that allow scientists to create and study accurate 3D models of living organisms and animate those models for biomechanical and fluid dynamic analyses. The methods for creating such models include 3D photogrammetry, laser and CT scanning, and 3D software.

Fluid Dynamics of the Open Port Interface for High-Speed Nanoliter Volume Sampling Mass Spectrometry.

The open port interface (OPI) coupled to an atmospheric pressure ion source is used to capture, dilute, focus, and transport nanoliter volume sample droplets for high-speed mass spectrometric analysis. For typical applications, the system has been optimized to achieve 1 Hz nanoliter volume sample transfer rates while simultaneously diluting the sample >1000-fold to minimize sample matrix-induced ionization suppression. Geometric, flow, and dispensing alterations to the system presented here demonstrate that sample transfer rates for the OPI of at least 15 Hz are possible.

Computer design of microfluidic mixers for protein/RNA folding studies.

Kinetic studies of biological macromolecules increasingly use microfluidic mixers to initiate and monitor reaction progress. A motivation for using microfluidic mixers is to reduce sample consumption and decrease mixing time to microseconds. Some applications, such as small-angle x-ray scattering, also require large (>10 micron) sampling areas to ensure high signal-to-noise ratios and to minimize parasitic scattering.

How much does nasal cavity morphology matter? Patterns and rates of olfactory airflow in phyllostomid bats.

The morphology of the nasal cavity in mammals with a good sense of smell includes features that are thought to improve olfactory airflow, such as a dorsal conduit that delivers odours quickly to the olfactory mucosa, an enlarged olfactory recess at the back of the airway, and a clear separation of the olfactory and respiratory regions of the nose. The link between these features and having a good sense of smell has been established by functional examinations of a handful of distantly related mammalian species. In this paper, we provide the first detailed examination of olfactory airflow in a group of closely related species that nevertheless vary in their sense of smell.

The role of the olfactory recess in olfactory airflow.

The olfactory recess - a blind pocket at the back of the nasal airway - is thought to play an important role in mammalian olfaction by sequestering air outside of the main airstream, thus giving odorants time to re-circulate. Several studies have shown that species with large olfactory recesses tend to have a well-developed sense of smell. However, no study has investigated how the size of the olfactory recess relates to air circulation near the olfactory epithelium.

Advances in turbulent mixing techniques to study microsecond protein folding reactions.

Recent experimental and computational advances in the protein folding arena have shown that the readout of the one-dimensional sequence information into three-dimensional structure begins within the first few microseconds of folding. The initiation of refolding reactions has been achieved by several means, including temperature jumps, flash photolysis, pressure jumps, and rapid mixing methods. One of the most commonly used means of initiating refolding of chemically denatured proteins is by turbulent flow mixing with refolding dilution buffer, where greater than 99% mixing efficiency has been achieved within 10's of microseconds.