An engineering approach to image-based phenotyping

The explosive growth of rodent models for basic biomedical research has created a compelling need for new methods of phenotyping. Modern imaging technologies offer a number of solutions. But, simply scaling clinical systems to use on small animal models is inappropriate. We present here a method to develop imaging tools for both structural and functional phenotyping using an interdisciplinary approach. Two examples are presented: (1) in vivo microscopy of the rat lung using hyperpolarized /sup 3/He, and (2) morphologic phenotyping of the perfusion fixed mouse.