Collaborative Research: Iodine-enhanced micro-CT Imaging: Repeated Measures Design to Improve Visualization of Vertebrate Soft-tissue Anatomy

快速可视化硬组织的能力（例如，骨、牙本质、牙釉质）的三维图像已经成为过去半个世纪中研究人员、医生和科学教育者最重要的进步之一。然而，由于非矿化组织固有的低X射线吸收，软组织成像的可比进步尚未完全实现。使用卢戈碘（I2 KI）溶液作为造影剂，通过X射线CT和micro-CT（#956CT）成像快速可视化软组织解剖结构，是脊椎动物形态学领域的一种潜在变革性新工具。该项目的目标是为碘增强（i-e）#956CT成像创建一个通用协议，该协议将允许任何形态学家创建几乎任何脊椎动物物种软组织的高质量3D图像。i-e #956 CT研究还具有通过开发3D高清解剖图谱进行广泛教育应用的潜力。除了进化生物学和生物体生物学课程外，这些材料可以很容易地增加解剖学和生理学课程。在第一阶段，研究人员将测试标本保存和染色的效果。接下来，第I阶段的样本子集将用于第II阶段，以测试各种#956 CT扫描参数的影响。最后，在第三阶段，我们将测试新的协议（a）从以前染色的标本中去除碘和（B）扩大目前的大小限制染色和成像的更大的标本。总的来说，这项研究旨在解决我们目前知识上的差距，限制了i-e #956 CT的广泛应用，同时也研究了潜在的新研究方向，可以进一步扩大其在生物科学中的效用。 研究结果将通过讲习班、同行审查的出版物和在科学会议上的介绍加以传播。

The ability to rapidly visualize hard tissues (e.g., bone, dentine, enamel) in three dimensions has been one of the most important advancements for researchers, medical doctors, and scientific educators in the last half-century. However, comparable advancements in soft-tissue imaging have yet to be fully realized due to the inherently low X-ray absorption of non-mineralized tissues. The use of Lugol's iodine (I2KI) solution as a contrast agent for the rapid visualization of soft-tissue anatomy using X-ray CT and micro-CT (&#956CT) imaging is a potentially transformative new tool for the field of vertebrate morphology. The project goal is to create a generalized protocol for iodine-enhanced (i-e) &#956CT imaging that will allow any morphologist to create high-quality, 3-D images of soft tissues from nearly any species of vertebrate. The i-e &#956CT research also has the potential for broad-based educational applications through the development of 3-D, high-definition anatomical atlases. In addition to evolutionary and organismal biology curricula, such materials could readily augment anatomy and physiology coursework.This project will encompass three phases of research. In Phase I, the researchers will test the effects of specimen preservation and staining. Next, a subset of specimens from Phase I will be used in Phase II to test the effects of various &#956CT scanning parameters. Finally, in Phase III we will test novel protocols for (a) removing iodine from previously stained specimens and (b) expanding the current size limits on staining and imaging of larger specimens. Taken together, this research aims to address the current gaps in our knowledge limiting the broad application of i-e &#956CT, while also examining potential new research directions that could further expand its utility for the biological sciences at large. Results from the studies will be disseminated through workshops, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations at scientific meetings.