Germany – Imaging equipment for medical, dental and veterinary use – Micro CT

At the German Mouse Clinic (GMC), Helmholtz Zentrum München, the existing micro-CT system is to be modernized with the latest imaging technology in order to be able to continue implementing the demanding research projects of the GMC and to realize projects within Helmholtz Munich as well as collaborations with external research partners. The projects cover a range of different research topics that require the acquisition of high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) image data of rodents, both ex-vivo and in-vivo, as well as biological samples. In addition to phenotyping as part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC), research focuses on the effect of genetic changes on metabolism (e.g. body composition), on the morphology of the skeleton, on the trabecular microstructure of the bones, as well as on organ functions (e.g. determining the organ function of the beating heart or the vital capacity of the lungs). Another main focus is on the field of "virtual histology", for carrying out non-destructive, high-resolution (spatial resolution < 10 micrometer), pathological analyses of biological samples.