Bugs are the right solution for some problems in life

Everyone is trying to stay away from bugs during the warm months with citronella candles and bug sprays, but nobody believes that these crawlers are the right solution for some problems in life. Using the cutting-edge X-ray technology at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Advanced Photon Source (APS), researchers took on inside look at some insects to learn about their biology and psychology. “It is really not much stronger than a super glue, but try to put super glue in your bathtub without is ever getting a chance to dry”, says Jeff Yarger, professor of chemistry, biochemistry and physics at Arizona State University and author of a study in Biomacromolecules that examined caddisfly silk. Scott Kirkton, associate professor of biology at Union College examined the grasshoppers. “A faster development time would produce smaller adults with reduced appetites and reduce the overall lifespan of the insect”, Kirkton said. He recently published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology his study about the American grasshopper`s respiratory system. He believes that more research is needed but concludes that his discovery is applicable to various insects. Another research was done on the muscles of moths by Tom Daniel, professor of biology at the University of Washington and Thomas Irving, director of the Biophysics Collaborative Access Team at sector 18 of the APS. “It was not a question of whether or not there was elastic energy involved in flight”, Daniel said.