Dealing with Degrees: The Neuromechanics of Motor Control in Soft Animals
Are you interested in how animals move and how their nervous systems control behavior? This project uses the caterpillar Manduca sexta—a soft-bodied insect with a simple yet effective nervous system—to study movement control in unprecedented detail. By implanting flexible electrode arrays into its muscles, researchers can record motor neuron activity during natural behaviors and link these recordings to high-speed motion analysis. To take this further, the project will build detailed 3D simulations based on micro-CT scans to explore how neural signals and body mechanics work together to produce movement. The first focus is on proleg grip-release, a survival-critical motion controlled by just one neuron, before expanding to full-body locomotion. This research provides hands-on experience with neurophysiology, biomechanics, and computational modeling—perfect for students interested in movement science, robotics, or evolutionary biology!
Name of research group, project, or lab
Trimmer Lab (Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory)
This research is based in a fun lab that emphasizes curiosity and independence. We have a very wide range of facilities that includes a full neurophysiology suite, cell culture and molecular tools and a "project room" for building whatever you need for your experiments. Although the live animal work is focused on the insect Manduca sexta, we also encourage students to think about the wider implications of their research. With this in mind ,we build soft robots that can squeeze through difficult terrain and grow insect cells in culture for possible use as living actuators or food production.
