The role of elastin in tendon function

Some tendons work to store energy and release it during use, significantly improving the energetic cost of locomotion. There is currently little understanding of how these tendons function, but they are know to contain a small amount of elastin and our preliminary data suggests this is critical to tendon mechanics, This project investigates the organisation and function of elastin in tendon mechanical behaviour, hypothesising that it is ciritical for healthy tendon function.