Research of Experimental Zoology
The mission of the experimental zoology group is to unravel the relationships between form and function in zoological systems in a developmental and evolutionary context and to provide bioinspired solutions for technological and medical problems.
Animals are complex mechanical systems that behave, develop, and evolve on multiple timescales. Understanding their structure and function requires interdisciplinary quantitative analyses that span a range of temporal and architectural scales. In return, such analyses reveal unexpected design strategies and solutions as developed by natural selection. Reverse engineering of these solutions can help to solve similar problems of societal relevance.
We study the function of moving animals using four main research lines. See below for details about these research lines.
Research themes
Biomechanics of moving animals
To unravel how natural movement systems function, we study the biomechanics and neuro-muscular control of moving animals.
Bioinspired design
In this research theme, we aim to answer the question: how can we learn from nature and translate this knowledge to our own designs and technologies?
Evolutionary biology
We study how complex adaptations evolve and what their developmental consequences are for maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy.
Developmental zoology
How do cells in multicellular organisms (self-)organize to form a complex body plan with an amazing functional repertoire, including reproduction, the repair after injuries, and navigation to find food and mating partners?
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