Single muscle fibre biomechanics and biomechatronics - The challenges, the pitfalls and the future

Oliver Friedrich; Michael Haug; B Reischl; G Prölß; Leon Kiriaev; Stewart I Head; Michael B Reid

doi:10.1016/j.biocel.2019.105563

Single muscle fibre biomechanics and biomechatronics - The challenges, the pitfalls and the future

Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2019 Sep:114:105563. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2019.105563. Epub 2019 Jun 27.

Authors

Oliver Friedrich¹, Michael Haug², B Reischl², G Prölß², Leon Kiriaev³, Stewart I Head⁴, Michael B Reid⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Paul-Gordan-Str. 3, 91052 Erlangen, Germany; School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales (USNW), Wallace Wurth Building, 2052 NSW, Sydney Australia; Muscle Research Centre Erlangen (MURCE), Henkestr. 91, 91052 Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: oliver.friedrich@fau.de.
² Institute of Medical Biotechnology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Paul-Gordan-Str. 3, 91052 Erlangen, Germany.
³ School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales (USNW), Wallace Wurth Building, 2052 NSW, Sydney Australia.
⁴ School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales (USNW), Wallace Wurth Building, 2052 NSW, Sydney Australia; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown Campus, Western Sydney, 2751 NSW, Australia.
⁵ College of Health and Human Performance, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

PMID: 31255723
DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2019.105563

Abstract

Interest in muscle biomechanics is growing with availabilities of patient biopsies and animal models related to muscle diseases, muscle wasting (sarcopenia, cachexia), exercise and drug effects. However, development of technologies or facilitated systems required to measure biomechanical and contractile properties of single fibres has not kept pace with this demand. Most studies use manual mechatronics systems that have not changed in decades and are confined to a few labs worldwide. Available commercial systems are expensive and limited in versatility, throughput and user-friendliness. We review major standard systems available from research labs and commercial sources, and benchmark those to our recently developed automated MyoRobot biomechatronics platform that provides versatility to cover multiple organ scales, is flexible in programming for active/passive muscle biomechanics using custom-made graphics user interfaces, employs on-the-fly data analyses and does not rely on external research microscopes. With higher throughput, this system blends Industry 4.0 automation principles into myology.

Keywords: Biomechatronics; Biosensors; Myorobotics; Single fibre; Skeletal muscle.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Biomechanical Phenomena
Humans
Muscle Contraction*
Muscle Fibers, Skeletal*
Sarcopenia / pathology
Sarcopenia / physiopathology*