Overview and services
At the LIB, the structure and form of organisms are investigated as part of morphological research projects. The morphology lab in Hamburg offers laboratory space, equipment and high-performance computers for data acquisition and analysis. Complementary to the focus on taxonomy and evolutionary morphology in the morphology lab in Bonn, the focus in Hamburg is on functional morphology and biomechanics.
The services of the morphology laboratory include infrastructure support as well as advice and support for researchers in the planning and implementation of morphological projects. In addition, the scientific staff of the morphology lab participates in collaborative research projects and carrys out own research.
Data acquisition and analysis methods
Various methods for generating and analysing morphological data have been established in the Hamburg morphology lab. Analogue and digital microscopes enable the examination of the external and internal anatomy of organisms. A fully equipped histology lab is available for examining the microscopic structure of samples. A slide scanner is available for the digitalisation of histological sections if required. Calcified structures such as bones in organisms can be analysed using digital X-ray images. The existing microCT scanner can be used to record three-dimensional data of the external and internal structures of samples. High-speed cameras are also available for recording motion sequences.
The processing and further analysis of digital data is carried out on high-performance computers and servers. Digital images are used, for example, to measure anatomical structures. Video recordings can be used to analyse movement sequences. Digital three-dimensional models can be created using microCT scans or digitised histological section series. These models are then often used for further analyses such as shape analyses or biomechanical simulations.
Utilisation and training
The morphology lab in Hamburg can be used by all LIB researchers, members of institutions with which the LIB has concluded a cooperation agreement and - within the framework of individual cooperations - also by external persons. If you are interested, please contact the lab head.
Lab users receive support from the lab team in familiarising themselves with the methods established in the morphology lab. In addition to training on the equipment and software, this also includes support in adapting methods to specific problems. Depending on demand, workshops on special methods such as computer tomography are also offered at irregular intervals.
Contact person
Projects
There are currently no projects available
Publications
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2023/8
Life in plastic, it's not fantastic: Sublethal effects of polyethylene microplastics ingestion throughout amphibian metamorphosis
Science of the Total Environment, 885
2023/2
Case study for the application of micro-computed tomography on a Miocene sample of Holstein Erratics to identify and asses included molluscs and foraminifera
EGU23, EGU23-16665
2022/7
Microplastics ingestion induces plasticity in digestive morphology in larvae of Xenopus laevis
Comparative biochemistry and physiology. Part A, Molecular & integrative physiology, 269
2021/6
Accuracy of bone segmentation and surface generation strategies analyzed by using synthetic CT volumes
Journal of anatomy, 6, 238
2021/2
Ontogenetic development of the shoulder joint muscles in frogs (Amphibia: Anura) assessed by digital dissection with implications for interspecific muscle homologies and nomenclature
Zoomorphology, 1, 140
2021/0
Anomalies in the vertebral column and ilio-sacral articulation of some anuran amphibians
Salamandra, 1, 57
2020/10
Ecomorphology of the pectoral girdle in anurans (Amphibia, Anura): Shape diversity and biomechanical considerations
Ecology and Evolution, 20, 10
2019/8
Measurement error in μ CT‐based three‐dimensional geometric morphometrics introduced by surface generation and landmark data acquisition
Journal of anatomy, 2, 235
2017/11
A simple setup for episcopic microtomy and a digital image processing workflow to acquire high-quality volume data and 3D surface models of small vertebrates
Zoomorphology, 1, 137
2023
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Employees
Melissa Aksoy
zmb Invertebrate Genomics, Molecular Laboratory HamburgPhone: +49 40 238317-560
E-mail: m.aksoy@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Karolin Engelkes
ztm Morphology laboratory Hamburg ScientistPhone: +49 40 238317 624
E-mail: k.engelkes@leibniz-lib.de
Robin Saulnier Masson
ztm Morphology laboratory Hamburg Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 40 238317 722
E-mail: r.saulniermasson@leibniz-lib.de
Lena Schwinger
ztm Morphology laboratory HamburgPhone: +49 40 238317 639
E-mail: l.schwinger@leibniz-lib.de