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New Imaging Techniques I

Combining histology with CT scanning – histotomography – provides details of cells and tissues simultaneously

10 July 2019

All About Scales

The devil is in the detail, right? But what about the bigger picture? The fact is when it comes to understanding disease, researchers need to understand how both cells and tissues respond. Histology allows fine details to be captured by taking thin slices through cells within a tissue, while CT imaging captures whole tissues and organs but at the expense of high resolution. Researchers now combine the two techniques to produce an approach called histotomography, which provides the details of histology and the bigger picture of CT. Using zebrafish as a model to test the approach they were able to capture its entire body as well as features such as cell shape and size (seen here). This approach will enable researchers to study changes in response to disease at both cellular and tissue levels, simultaneously.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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