Facilities Home Tour Our Facilities X-Ray Crystallography Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Laser Spectroscopy Muscle Mechanics Basic Sciences Computing Laboratory Muscle Mechanics Laboratory Single fibers from rabbit, rat, and scallop muscles are studied on this instrument to determine their mechanical properties. We are able to simultaneously measure maximal isometric force generation (how "strong" the muscle fibers are) and myosin ATPase activity (rate of "energy" used before and during a contraction), as illustrated in the figure at right. On other instruments we are also able to determine maximal shortening velocity (how "fast" fibers can contract) and maximal power output (how "powerful" fibers are) of single muscle fibers.