Our facility provides state-of-the-art technologies for multi-modality, non-invasive approaches to imaging on small, live animals (in vivo), or tissues and organs extracted from animals (ex vivo). Our equipment can be used for pre-clinical models and non-biological samples.
The equipment we offer includes:
- High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 9.4 T)
- Optical imaging
- Ultrasound
- Photo-acoustic imaging
- μCT, and PET+SPECT+CT systems
- Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI)
- Image processing software (both licensed and open source).
The Centre has been funded in large part by capital award grants from the MRC (£3.3M), Wellcome Trust (£1.0M) with matching funds from the University of Liverpool.
We maintain the highest standards of animal welfare. Our ethical review process involves individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including vets, animal welfare officers, scientists and lay people.
See the University of Liverpool's animal research policy.
What Pre-Clinical Imaging can be used for
Our facilities can be used to observe changes in animals when responding to physiological or environmental changes. These can be observed at organ, tissue, or molecular level. The results from the imaging can provide a basic understanding of a disease, its progression and its response to a specific drug.
Our imaging equipment is optimised for use on small animals, for example, mice and rats. However, we can also image similar sized animals such as gerbils or small rabbits.
Who can use our facilities?
- University of Liverpool academic staff
- Researchers from other universities
- Industrial research partners.
University of Liverpool academic staff can apply for research funding vouchers.
What you’ll receive from our service
- Research infrastructure that’s designed to give researchers access to world class facilities in the best possible, collaborative environment
- A range of imaging equipment and processing software across 5 different workstations that can be used on living tissue, or tissues from dead small animals and fish
- Initial training on equipment and ongoing support
- Expertise and support, in person, from our experts when taking and processing the data from in vivo and ex vivo imaging data. Support is available during and post-experiment where possible
- Continuous development in novel imaging methods for use in biological applications.
Booking duration and rates for facilities and equipment can be flexible depending on your research needs.
Contact us to discuss your research.
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