Description
High-resolution 3D images are making increasingly frequent and important contributions to our understanding of organismal morphology and development. MicroCT (X-ray microtomography) in particular is finding ever more diverse applications in studies of animal and plant ontogeny, systematics, and palaeontology. We have previously demonstrated microCT imaging of immunostaining in optically opaque whole-mount embryos, and continuing work is refining this technique to include larger samples and RNA probes. Related work on dual-energy (spectrally-sensitive, two-colour) microCT has demonstrated simultaneous imaging of different tissues or materials in one sample, e.g. skeletal hydroxyapatite plus counterstained soft tissues, as well as tissues differentially contrasted with double staining. Further collaborative work is aimed at extending the repertoire of available contrast agents to add true histological content to microCT images. These methods are also enabling the application of microCT imaging to diagnostic pathology. In a new international project on human development, we are producing a new set of high quality microCT images to the slowly-growing pool of 3D human embryology image data, using a rare collection of second-trimester heads. The image data allow visualization of developing facial cartilage elements, details of tooth and jaw development, and will enable ontogenetic studies of the organs of special sense (ear, nose, eye). Related projects on normal development include contributions to open atlas chick development and creating a high-resolution 3D atlas of Sprague-Dawley rat development as a basis for analyzing mutations, experimental perturbations, and for quantitative comparisons with other species.| Period | 2018 |
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| Event title | 7th meeting of the European Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Galway, IrelandShow on map |
Keywords
- Microscopy
- Evolutionary developmental biology