Physics-based simulation provides a powerful framework for understanding biological form and function. Simulations help biomedical researchers understand the physical constraints on biological systems as they engineer novel drugs, synthetic tissues, medical devices, and surgical interventions. NMBL researchers develop new algorithms and software for simulating the neuromusculoskeletal system.   We create simulations of systems that span physical scales ranging from molecular dynamics to tissue-level and multi-body dynamics. SimTK We are involved in the development a simulation toolkit (SimTK) that enables biomedical scientists to develop and share accurate models and simulations of biological structures - from atoms to organisms. This work is funded by a National Center for Simulation of Biological Structures (Simbios).     OpenSim We are involved in the development of OpenSim. It is freely available to the biomechanics community and enables advanced modeling and simulation of human and animal movement, including inverse dynamics analysis and forward dynamic simulation. The software provides a platform on which the biomechanics community can build a library of simulations that can be exchanged, tested, analyzed, and improved through a world-wide collaboration.     Musculoskeletal Modeling (SIMM) We have created a software package called SIMM that enables users to develop, alter, and evaluate models of musculoskeletal structures. SIMM allows users to build models that accurately represent muscle force generation, bone geometry, joint kinematics, and movement dynamics.     Multi-Body Dynamic Simulation We are creating state-of-the-art tools for developing and interpreting subject-specific dynamic simulations of normal and abnormal movement.   We combine dynamic simulation with control theory and robotics to generate realistic simulations.     Three-Dimensional Muscle Modeling We are developing a mechanics-based formulation for representing three-dimensional skeletal muscle architecture and geometry, including a nonlinear constitutive model for muscle and tendon and graphics-based modeling techniques to characterize the three-dimensional trajectories of muscle fibers.     Modeling and Simulation of Molecular Motors We are developing tools for creating course-grained geometric models of protein structures, performing molecular dynamic simulations to estimate physical properties, and running forward dynamic simulations of myosin during its power stroke.     Image-Based Modeling We are developing methods for building and analyzing geometric and finite-element models of bone, muscle, cartilage, ligaments, and tendon from medical image data.

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