People
Dr. Anna Westermeier

Dr. Anna Westermeier

Research Area C

Plant Biomechanics Group Freiburg, Botanic Garden Freiburg

Project

BioElast – Kinematic Principles and Motion Design in Shape-Shifting Plant Structures

Project description
In my project, which is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg, I investigate plants that are able to achieve very fast movements. I am interested in the kinematic principles and functional-morphological and biomechanical characteristics underlying this capacity. My focus lies on analysing the active and/or passive actuation mechanisms enabling the complex global deformation that occurs in carnivorous plants and orchid pollination systems.


Supervisor and dissertation
Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck

Anna Westermeier successfully defended her dissertation in February 2020.

Topic: Snapping in different media: Comparative analyses of biomechanics and functional morphology in Aldrovanda vesiculosa and Dionaea muscipula



Publications in livMatS