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The Hermanson Lab
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Dan Riskin, graduate student, is working on the terrestrial locomotion of bats, and in particular, vampire bats (of the Neotropics) and the short-tailed bat of New Zealand. We’ve got some great new insights into how these bats may have “reinvented” walking after evolving from non-walking ancestors. Most bats (about 1000 species) are incapable of repeated walking and merely scurry about on the substrate. Dan recently won a “best student presentation” at the North American Symposium on Bat Research held at Salt Lake City. Dan's web site is www.noctilio.com.
I continue to collaborate with John Bertram, now at the University of Calgary. Our work has focused on novel muscle specializations for efficient locomotion in horses. We are preparing a review of the niches occupied by long-limbed animals that utilize elastic-storage mechanisms in their limb and axial muscles during long distance movements. We have also continued our collaboration with John’s student, Michael Butcher, working on molecular aspects of myosin function in horse muscles.
Former students include Jenn Dearolf, who is now a faculty member at Hendrix College in Arkansas. Her focus was on muscle biology and development in dolphins and other marine mammals. Prior to her, Bill Schutt received his Ph.D. for his work on hindlimb specializations in vampire bats, and for his discovery of tendon locking mechanisms that allow bats to hang upside down for long periods of time with minimal muscular energy demands. Bill is currently on the faculty at the Long Island University.
Techniques practiced in the lab.
Muscle histochemistry and immunocytochemistry
SDS-PAGE analysis of myosin isoforms
In-depth analysis of muscle structure and function, including architectural analysis and in vivo work
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Last Update November 23, 2004