PUBLICATIONS & MEDIA
2024
2023
F Püffel, OK Walthaus, V Kang & D Labonte: Biomechanics of cutting: sharpness, wear sensitivity, and the scaling of cutting forces in leaf-cutter ant mandibles. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B. 378(1891): 20220547. bioRxiv | Journal Version | Tweetorial
F Plum, R Bulla, H Beck, N Imirzian & David Labonte: replicAnt – generating annotated images of animals in complex environments with Unreal Engine. Nat Comms. 14:7195. bioRxiv | Journal version | Tweetorial
L Aibekova, RA Keller, J Katzke, DM Allman, FH Garcia, D Labonte, A Narendra & EP Economo: Parallel and divergent morphological adaptations underlying the evolution of jumping ability in ants. Integr Org Biol. 5(1): obad026 bioRxiv | Journal version | Tweetorial
2022
2021
A Levillain, S Ahmed, DM Kaimaki, S Schuler, S Barros, D Labonte, JC Iatridis, NC Nowlan: Prenatal muscle forces are necessary for vertebral segmentation and disc structure, but not for notochord involution in mice. Eur Cell Mater. 41: 558-575. Journal Version
F Plum & D Labonte: scAnt—an open-source platform for the creation of 3D models of arthropods (and other small objects). PeerJ 9:e11155. Journal Version | Tweetorial
D Labonte, A Robinson, U Bauer & W Federle: Disentangling the role of surface topography and intrinsic wettability in the prey capture mechanism of Nepenthes pitcher plants. Acta Biomaterialia 119, 225-233. bioRxiv | Journal Version
2020
K. Nakanishi, D. Labonte, T. Cebo, V. P. Veigang-Radulescua, Y. Fan B. Brennan, A.J. Pollard, S. Hofmann & N. A.Fleck: Mechanical properties of the hollow-wall graphene gyroid lattice. Acta Materialia 201, 254-265. Journal Version
2019
W Federle & D Labonte: Dynamic biological adhesion: mechanisms for controlling attachment during locomotion. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 374 (1784), 20190199. Journal Version
D Labonte, MY Struecker, AV Birn-Jeffery, W Federle: Shear-sensitive adhesion enables size-independent adhesive performance in stick insects.Proceedings of the Royal Society B 286 (1913), 20191327. Journal Version
RE Johnston, RL Mitchell, C Pleydell-Pearce, M Coleman, L North, D Labonte, ML Oyen, R Board, EC Pope, H Arora & D Howells: Correlating Microstructure to in situ Micromechanical Behaviour and Toughening Strategies in Biological Materials. Microscopy and Microanalysis 25 (S2), 372-373. Journal Version
2018
J G Pattrick, D Labonte & W Federle: Scaling of claw sharpness: mechanical constraints reduce attachment performance in larger insects. Journal of Experimental Biology 221 (24), jeb188391. Journal Version
2017
L North, D Labonte, ML Oyen, MP Coleman, HB Caliskan & RE Johnston: Interrelated chemical-microstructural-nanomechanical variations in the structural units of the cuttlebone of Sepia officinalis. APL Materials 5 (11), 116103. bioRxiv | Journal Version
David Labonte, Anne-Kristin Lenz, Michelle L Oyen: On the relationship between indentation hardness and modulus, and the damage resistance of biological materials. Acta biomaterialia 57, 373-383. bioRxiv | Journal Version
N Graupner, D Labonte, M Joerg: Rhubarb petioles inspire biodegradable cellulose fibre-reinforced PLA composites with increased impact strength. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing 98, 218–22. Journal Version
N Graupner, D Labonte, H Humburg, T Buzkan, A Dörgens, W Kelterer & J Müssig: Functional gradients in the pericarp of the green coconut inspire asymmetric fibre-composites with improved impact strength, and preserved flexural and tensile properties. Bioinspiration & Biomimetics 12 (2), 026009. Journal Version
2016
David Labonte, Christofer J Clemente, Alex Dittrich, Chi-Yun Kuo, Alfred J Crosby, Duncan J Irschick, Walter Federle: Extreme positive allometry of animal adhesive pads and the size limits of adhesion-based climbing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113 (5), 1297-1302. bioRxiv | Journal Version
D Labonte, W Federle: Biomechanics of shear-sensitive adhesion in climbing animals: peeling, pre-tension and sliding-induced changes in interface strength. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 13 (122), 20160373. bioRxiv | Journal Version
2015
A Hackmann, H Delacave, A Robinson, D Labonte, W Federle: Functional morphology and efficiency of the antenna cleaner in Camponotus rufifemur ants. Royal Society open science 2 (7), 150129. Journal Version
D Labonte, W Federle: Scaling and biomechanics of surface attachment in climbing animals. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 370 (1661): 20140027. Journal Version
S Akerboom, J Appel, D Labonte, W Federle, J Sprakel, M Kamperman: Enhanced adhesion of bioinspired nanopatterned elastomers via colloidal surface assembly. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 12 (102), 20141061. Journal Version
D Labonte, W Federle: Rate-dependence of ‘wet’ biological adhesives and the function of the pad secretion in insects. Soft Matter 11 (44), 8661-8673. Journal Version
2014
Judith M Fonville, SH Wilks, Sarah L James, A Fox, M Ventresca, M Aban, L Xue, TC Jones, NMH Le, QT Pham, ND Tran, Y Wong, A Mosterin, LC Katzelnick, David Labonte, TT Le, G Van Der Net, E Skepner, CA Russell, TD Kaplan, GF Rimmelzwaan, N Masurel, JC De Jong, A Palache, WEP Beyer, QM Le, TH Nguyen, HFL Wertheim, AC Hurt, ADME Osterhaus, IG Barr, RAM Fouchier, PW Horby, DJ Smith: Antibody landscapes after influenza virus infection or vaccination. Science 346 (6212), 996-1000. Journal Version
David Labonte, John A Williams, Walter Federle: Surface contact and design of fibrillar ‘friction pads’ in stick insects (Carausius morosus): mechanisms for large friction coefficients and negligible adhesion. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 11 (94), 20140034. Journal Version
2013
D Labonte, W Federle: Functionally different pads on the same foot allow control of attachment: stick insects have load-sensitive “heel” pads for friction and shear-sensitive “toe” pads for adhesion. PLoS One 8 (12), e81943. Journal Version
Media coverage
Sorry, Stephen… Science has ruined spider-man. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- replicAnt: Revolutionizing Animal Research with AI Advancements. By Multiplatform.AI
- New tool to help AI track animals could boost biology research. by Caroline Brogan
- ECR Spotlight – Frederik Püffel.
- The universal muscle. Nature Physics.
- How to say 'jumping ants' in Uchinaaguchi. By OIST
- The Best DIY 3D Scanners. By Kayla Matthews & Raphael Bertasius
- This Tiny, Open Source 3D Scanner Creates Insect 3D Models for Training Machine Learning Models. By Cameron Coward
- scAnt: An Open Source 3D Scanner For Ants. By Kerry Stevenson
- Animals immortalised in 3D by affordable scanner technology. By Caroline Brogan
- Insects come to life with new imaging tech from Imperial College London. SWLondoner
- Pitcher plants create a sticky trap for insects. By Cordelia Sealy
- The maths of Spider-Man. +Plus Magazine
- Gecko-Trick beim Menschen. Spiegel Online
- Why Spider-Man would fall off buildings. The naked Scientist
- What would a real Spider-Man look like? The Wire
- Spider-Man feats 'impossible' because of small feet. BBC News
- Foot Fluids Work in Surprising Ways to Help Insects Stick to Walls. Smithsonian Magazine
- Spiderman would need 43-inch hands to stick to a wall. LA Times
- How the stick insect sticks and unsticks itself. The Daily Mail
- Stick insect's wet feet help it unstick itself. UPI
- Data nugget: Sticky situations: big and small animals with sticky feet. By Travis Hagey
- Cambridge scientists uncover the sticky secrets of stick insects. New Atlas
