Greetings,

For centuries, methods for biologists to learn about the ‘innards’ of whole organisms involved dissections of dead specimens. This is still an essential tool, but now we have added wonderful new methods to our toolbox. Similarly for small samples, for many decades biologists have embedded them in a hardening substance and sliced them super-thinly, which then necessitates trying to think 3-dimensionally about how those sections fit together. As UW grad student Karly Cohen describes below, she was trained in both of these essential methods but in her time at FHL she has learned to use and appreciate modern means such as the CT scanner. This remarkable tool, funded in large part with private donations so that there is no usage fee as there is at many other facilities, allows us to see inside intact organisms (including museum specimens) and get detailed 3-D images. As Karly’s essay shows, this not only enables us to study structure and function, but creates gorgeous images that are art in their own right.

Best,
Dr. Megan Dethier
FHL Director