Live Optical Projection Tomography

Optical projection tomography has proven to be a powerful tool for developmental biologists. But so far OPT has been performed almost exclusively on ex-vivo specimens which have been cleared to increase the quality of 3D images obtained. Building on the success of this new technology we are exploring various improvements to allow the 4D imaging of the developing mouse limb bud in culture (and other embryonic organs). This technique now provides us with some of the data on tissue movements that is essential for subsequent computer modelling. In the near future it should also provide data on dynamic gene expression patterns.