DICKIE, Renee; Harvard University: Applications of digital microscopy to comparative vertebrate histology

Modern digital imaging has facilitated the quantification and distribution of serial section and moving picture histological data, and this electronic distribution of image data enhances cross-disciplinary interaction. Confocal microscopy, possessing flexible optical platforms and a high rate of image acquisition, allows the study of surface features and cellular events without physical disturbance, revealing the three-dimensional nature of tissues and allowing for live cell imaging using tags such as GFP and quantum dots. Here we focus on the use of digital microscopy to investigate structure-function changes associated with the postnatal ontogeny of mammalian lung and vasculature. Structural changes in the lung during growth alter the nature of flow through the airways, mediating the pathogenic effect of inhaled particles.