Unit for Theoretical Biology, Department of Evolutionary Biology
University of Vienna

As a non-destructive whole-sample imaging method, X-ray microtomography (microCT, or XRM) is an effective complement to both traditional and specialized imaging modalities. Ex vivo microCT provides a 3D overview of the relevant morphology at microscopic resolution and can be used with practically any type of biological sample. I will give an overview of the microCT imaging systems in Theoretical Biology and their capabilities, along with a sampling of diverse applicationsCurrent projects include refinement of tissue-specific contrasting for microCT, applications to histopathology, and investigation of heart development and metamorphosis. . Our current systems are able to provide 3D volume images of samples from about 0.5 mm to 30 mm in diameter, and in the next few months we plan to add a new, versatile microCT system especially suited for samples in the 3-20mm range.