Welcome to the Amira-Avizo Software Use Case Gallery

Below you will find a collection of use cases of our 3D data visualization and analysis software. These use cases include scientific publications, articles, papers, posters, presentations or even videos that show how Amira-Avizo Software is used to address various scientific and industrial research topics.

Use the Domain selector to filter by main application area, and use the Search box to enter keywords related to specific topics you are interested in.

Three-dimensional imaging of the intracellular assembly of a functional viral RNA replicase complex

Three-dimensional imaging of the intracellular assembly of a functional viral RNA replicase complex

Positive-strand RNA viruses, which can be devastating pathogens in humans, animals and plants, replicate their genomes on intracellular membranes. Here, we describe the three-dimensional ultrastructural organization of a tombusvirus replicase in yeast, a valuable model for exploring virus–host interactions…

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Isabel Fernández de Castro, José J. Fernández, Daniel Barajas, Peter D. Nagy, Cristina Risco

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Fast and precise targeting of single tumor cells in vivo by multimodal correlative microscopy

Fast and precise targeting of single tumor cells in vivo by multimodal correlative microscopy

Intravital microscopy provides dynamic understanding of multiple cell biological processes, but its limited resolution has so far precluded structural analysis. Because it is difficult to capture rare and transient events, only a few attempts have been made to observe specific developmental and pathological processes in animal models using electron microscopy. The multimodal correlative approach that we propose here combines intravital microscopy, microscopic X-ray computed tomography and thr... Read more

Matthia A. Karreman, Luc Mercier, Nicole L. Schieber, Gergely Solecki, Guillaume Allio, Frank Winkler, Bernhard Ruthensteiner, Jacky G. Goetz, Yannick Schwab

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High-resolution ultramicroscopy of the developing and adult nervous system in optically cleared Drosophila melanogaster

High-resolution ultramicroscopy of the developing and adult nervous system in optically cleared Drosophila melanogaster

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is an important experimental model to address central questions in neuroscience at an organismic level. However, imaging of neural circuits in intact fruit flies is limited due to structural properties of the cuticle. Here we present a novel approach combining tissue clearing, ultramicroscopy, and data analysis that enables the visualisation of neuronal networks with single-cell resolution from the larval stage up to the adult Drosophila. (…) This... Read more

Marko Pende, Klaus Becker, Martina Wanis, Saiedeh Saghafi, Rashmit Kaur, Christian Hahn, Nika Pende, Massih Foroughipour, Thomas Hummel & Hans-Ulrich Dodt

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In Situ Structure of Neuronal C9orf72 Poly-GA Aggregates Reveals Proteasome Recruitment

In Situ Structure of Neuronal C9orf72 Poly-GA Aggregates Reveals Proteasome Recruitment

Protein aggregation and dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome system are hallmarks of many neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we address the elusive link between these phenomena by employing cryo-electron tomography to dissect the molecular architecture of protein aggregates within intact neurons at high resolution. We focus on the poly-Gly-Ala (poly-GA) aggregates resulting from aberrant translation of an expanded GGGGCC repeat in C9orf72, the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic latera... Read more

Qiang Guo, Carina Lehmer, Antonio Martinez-Sanchez, Till Rudack, Florian Beck, Hannelore Hartmann, Manuela Perez-Berlanga, Frederic Frottin, Mark S.Hipp, F. Ulrich Hartl, Dieter Edbauer, Wolfgang Baumeister, Ruben Fernandez-Busnadiego

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Modernization of Golgi staining techniques for high-resolution, 3-dimensional imaging of individual neurons

Modernization of Golgi staining techniques for high-resolution, 3-dimensional imaging of individual neurons

Analysis of neuronal arborization and connections is a powerful tool in fundamental and clinical neuroscience. Changes in neuronal morphology are central to brain development and plasticity and are associated with numerous diseases. Golgi staining is a classical technique based on a deposition of metal precipitate in a random set of neurons. Despite their versatility, Golgi methods have limitations that largely precluded their use in advanced microscopy. We combined Golgi staining with fluore... Read more

Katlijn Vints, Dorien Vandael, Pieter Baatsen, Benjamin Pavie, Frank Vernaillen, Nikky Corthout, Vasily Rybakin, Sebastian Munck & Natalia V. Gounko

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Patterns of organelle ontogeny through a cell cycle revealed by whole-cell reconstructions using 3D electron microscopy

Patterns of organelle ontogeny through a cell cycle revealed by whole-cell reconstructions using 3D electron microscopy

The major mammalian bloodstream form of the African sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma bruceimultiplies rapidly, and it is important to understand how these cells divide. Organelle inheritance involves complex spatiotemporal re-arrangements to ensure correct distribution to daughter cells…

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Louise Hughes, Samantha Borrett, Katie Towers, Tobias Starborg, Sue Vaughan

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Morphological process of podocyte development revealed by block-face scanning electron microscopy

Morphological process of podocyte development revealed by block-face scanning electron microscopy

Podocytes present a unique 3D architecture specialized for glomerular filtration. However, several 3D morphological aspects on podocyte development remain partially understood because they are difficult to reveal using conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Here, we adopted serial block-face SEM imaging…

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Koichiro Ichimura, Soichiro Kakuta, Yuto Kawasaki, Takayuki Miyaki, Takahiro Nonami, Naoyuki Miyazaki, Tomoyo Nakao, Sakiko Enomoto, Shigeo Arai, Masato Koike, Kazuyoshi Murata, Tatsuo Sakai

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A correlative approach for combining microCT, light and transmission electron microscopy in a single 3D scenario

A correlative approach for combining microCT, light and transmission electron microscopy in a single 3D scenario

In biomedical research, a huge variety of different techniques is currently available for the structural examination of small specimens, including conventional light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), microscopic X-ray computed tomography (microCT), and many others. Since every imaging method is physically limited by certain parameters, a correlative use of complementary methods often yields a significant broader range of inform... Read more

Stephan Handschuh, Natalie Baeumler, Thomas Schwaha and Bernhard Ruthensteiner

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Correlative cryo-electron microscopy reveals the structure of TNTs in neuronal cells

Correlative cryo-electron microscopy reveals the structure of TNTs in neuronal cells

The orchestration of intercellular communication is essential for multicellular organisms. One mechanism by which cells communicate is through long, actin-rich membranous protrusions called tunneling nanotubes (TNTs), which allow the intercellular transport of various cargoes, between the cytoplasm of distant cells in vitro and in vivo. Here, we use correlative FIB-SEM, light- and cryo-electron microscopy approaches to elucidate the structural organization of neuronal TNTs. Our data indicate ... Read more

Anna Sartori-Rupp, Diégo Cordero Cervantes, Anna Pepe, Karine Gousset, Elise Delage, Simon Corroyer-Dulmont, Christine Schmitt, Jacomina Krijnse-Locker & Chiara Zurzolo

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UCSF School of Dentistry uses Avizo software to extract changes in periodontal ligament space and tooth movement due to orthodontic therapy

UCSF School of Dentistry uses Avizo software to extract changes in periodontal ligament space and tooth movement due to orthodontic therapy

During the acts of biting and chewing, the muscles of the jaw (consisting of the masseter, temporalis, and medial pterygoid in the elevator group, and lateral pterygoid as the main depressor) generate forces that dictate jaw kinematics . The movement of jaws hinges about the temporomandibular joint and are brought together by the muscles attached to respective bones through bone-tendon interfaces known as entheses . Thus, chewing forces affect aspects of craniofacial structure as well as bo... Read more

Kyle H.-Y. Chan, fourth-year undergraduate student in Molecular and Cell Biology, and Public Health at UC Berkeley, FeiFei Yang, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar in the Laboratory of Multiscale Biomechanics and Biomineralization, School of Dentistry, UCSF, and Sunita P. Ho, Ph.D., Division of Biomaterials and Bioengineering, Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California San Francisco

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Under the armor: X-ray computed tomographic reconstruction of the internal skeleton of Coahomasuchus chathamensis (Archosauria: Aetosauria) from the Upper Triassic of North Carolina, USA, and a phylogenetic analysis of Aetosauria

Under the armor: X-ray computed tomographic reconstruction of the internal skeleton of Coahomasuchus chathamensis (Archosauria: Aetosauria) from the Upper Triassic of North Carolina, USA, and a phylogenetic analysis of Aetosauria

Aetosauria is a clade of heavily armored, quadrupedal omnivorous to herbivorous archosaurs known from the Late Triassic across what was the supercontinent of Pangea. Their abundance in many deposits relative to the paucity of other Triassic herbivores indicates that they were key components of Late Triassic ecosystems. However, their evolutionary relationships remain contentious due, in large part, to their extensive dermal armor, which often obstructs observation of internal skeletal anatomy... Read more

Devin K. Hoffman​, Andrew B. Heckert, Lindsay E. Zanno

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Modelling deformation and fracture in confectionery wafers

Modelling deformation and fracture in confectionery wafers

The aim of this research is to model the deformation and fracture behaviour of brittle wafers often used in chocolate confectionery products.

Three point bending and compression experiments were performed on beam and circular disc samples respectively to determine the ‘apparent’ stress-strain curves in bending and compression. The deformation of the wafer for both these testing types was observed in-situ within an SEM. The wafer is modelled analytically and numerically as a composi... Read more

Idris K. Mohammeda, Maria N. Charalambides , J. Gordon Williams , John Rasburn

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3D Muscle Architecture of the Pectoral Muscles of European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

3D Muscle Architecture of the Pectoral Muscles of European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Avian flight is achieved through a number of modifications to the body, including the pectoral girdle (…). Muscle architecture is a critical variable in determining the biomechanical function of the vertebrate musculoskeletal system; however, accurate three-dimensional (3D) understanding of muscle architecture has been historically difficult to acquire. Here, we present a musculoskeletal model of a European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) pectoral girdle generated from iodine contr... Read more

S.P. Sullivan, F.R. McGechie, K.M. Middleton, C.M. Holliday

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Testing hypotheses for the function of the carnivoran baculum using finite-element analysis

Testing hypotheses for the function of the carnivoran baculum using finite-element analysis

The baculum (os penis) is a mineralized bone within the glans of the mammalian penis and is one of the most morphologically diverse structures in the mammal skeleton. (…) For the first time, to our knowledge, we apply a computational simulation approach (finite-element analysis; FEA) to quantify the three-dimensional biomechanical performance of carnivoran bacula (n = 74) based upon high-resolution micro-computed tomography scans. (…) a highly significant negative relation... Read more

Charlotte A. Brassey, James D. Gardiner, and Andrew C. Kitchener

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Microbial-tubeworm associations in a 440 million year old hydrothermal vent community

Microbial-tubeworm associations in a 440 million year old hydrothermal vent community

Microorganisms are the chief primary producers within present-day deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems, and play a fundamental role in shaping the ecology of these environments. (…) The oldest known hydrothermal vent community that includes metazoans is preserved within the Ordovician to early Silurian Yaman Kasy massive sulfide deposit, Ural Mountains, Russia. (…) A re-examination of these fossils using a range of microscopy, chemical analysis and nano-tomography techniques re... Read more

Magdalena N. Georgieva , Crispin T. S. Little , Russell J. Bailey , Alexander D. Ball and Adrian G. Glover

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Preservation of three-dimensional anatomy in phosphatized fossil arthropods enriches evolutionary inference

Preservation of three-dimensional anatomy in phosphatized fossil arthropods enriches evolutionary inference

External and internal morphological characters of extant and fossil organisms are crucial to establishing their systematic position, ecological role and evolutionary trends. (…) We found well-preserved three-dimensional anatomy in mineralized arthropods from Paleogene fissure fillings and demonstrate the value of these fossils by utilizing digitally reconstructed anatomical structure of a hister beetle. The new anatomical data facilitate a refinement of the species diagnosis and allowed... Read more

Achim H Schwermann, Tomy dos Santos Rolo, Michael S Caterino, Gunter Bechly, Heiko Schmied, Tilo Baumbach, Thomas van de Kamp

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Determination of steel fibres distribution in self-compacting concrete beams using X-ray computed tomography

Determination of steel fibres distribution in self-compacting concrete beams using X-ray computed tomography

In this paper a study concerning an automatic determination of distribution of steel fibres in self-compacting concrete (SCC) is presented. The determination of fibre distribution is required to assess any relationship between those features and casting methods of concrete elements. Concrete beams with steel fibres of various types and casting methods were examined. Involved methods were computed tomography imaging followed by image analysis. After image analysis a label map consisting of all... Read more

T. Ponikiewski, J. Golaszewski, M. Rudzki, M. Bugdol

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3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax

3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax

The size and shape of the Neandertal thorax has been debated since the first discovery of Neandertal ribs more than 150 years ago, with workers proposing different interpretations ranging from a Neandertal thoracic morphology that is indistinguishable from modern humans, to one that was significantly different from them. Here, we provide a virtual 3D reconstruction of the thorax of the adult male Kebara 2 Neandertal. Our analyses reveal that the Kebara 2 thorax is significantly different but ... Read more

Asier Gomez-Olivencia, Alon Barash, Daniel Garcia-Martinez, Mikel Arlegi, Patricia Kramer, Markus Bastir, Ella Been

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Vascular structure of the earliest shark teeth

Vascular structure of the earliest shark teeth

Here we use synchrotron tomography to characterise dental vasculature in the oldest known tooth-bearing sharks, Leonodus carlsi Mader, 1986 and Celtiberina maderi Wang, 1993. Three dimensional reconstruction of the vascular system and microstructure of both taxa revealed a complex and dense network of canals, including horizontal, ascending and secondary bifurcated canals, as well as histological features consistent with an osteodont histotype. However, L. carlsi and C. maderi also exhibit si... Read more

Carlos Martinez-Perez, Alba Martin-Lazaro, Humberto G Ferron, Martina Kirstein, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Hector Botella

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Branching morphogenesis of the urinary collecting system in the human embryonic metanephros

Branching morphogenesis of the urinary collecting system in the human embryonic metanephros

An elaborate system of ducts collects urine from all nephrons, and this structure is known as the urinary collecting system (UCS). This study focused on how the UCS is formed during human embryogenesis. Fifty human embryos between the Carnegie stage (CS) 14 and CS23 were selected from the Kyoto Collection at the Congenital Anomaly Research Center of Kyoto University, Japan. Metanephroses, including the UCS, were segmented on serial digital virtual histological sections. Three-dimensional imag... Read more

Hana Ishiyama, Aoi Ishikawa, Haruka Kitazawa, Sena Fujii, Jun Matsubayashi, Shigehito Yamada, Tetsuya Takakuwa

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New omomyoids (Euprimates, Mammalia) from the late Uintan of southern California, USA, and the question of the extinction of the Paromomyidae (Plesiadapiformes, Primates)

New omomyoids (Euprimates, Mammalia) from the late Uintan of southern California, USA, and the question of the extinction of the Paromomyidae (Plesiadapiformes, Primates)

Paromomyidae has been thought to represent the longest-lived group of stem primates (plesiadapiforms), extending from the early Paleocene to late Eocene. We analyzed primate material from the late-middle Eocene of southern California that had initially been ascribed to cf. Phenacolemur shifrae. This material falls at the lowest end of the size range for the family. The Californian specimens also exhibit several dental features that are atypical for paromomyids, such as a strong paraconid on t... Read more

Sergi López-Torres, Mary T. Silcox, and Patricia A. Holroyd

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