Insects and viruses could hold the key for better human teamwork in disasters Supported by a five-year $2.37 million grant from the National Science Foundation, and supplemented by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the research team at Illinois is attempting to draw inspiration from the collaboration patterns that honeybees and ants use, and the spread patterns viruses typically take. The ideas the researchers develop will ‘augment current collaboration among first responders, including civil engineers, to extreme events involving critical physical infrastructures,’ said Feniosky Pena-Mora, the principal investigator of the study and a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Illinois . "The manner in which extreme events are addressed will influence the future of our cities, as well as redefine the role of the civil engineer," Pena-Mora said. In the epidemiology area of their work, the researchers are looking at the spread of infectious diseases in human populations. In the entomology area, they are looking at honeybees' (Apis mellifera) collaborative decision-making process when selecting a new hive or foraging, and at ants' (Solenopsis invicta) behaviour when they are under threat. The research team, which includes biological, computer and social scientists and civil engineers, will apply their natural-world findings to three major areas:
The study, ‘ Information technology-based collaboration framework for preparing against, responding to and recovering from disasters involving critical physical infrastructures,’ has been funded as part of NSF's Info rmation Technology Research Program for National Priorities.
•Date:
3rd March 2005 • Region: N.America •Type:
Article •Topic:
DR general |
