Morphology laboratory, Hamburg

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.