Micro-CT Examination of a Tree Mushroom

Polypores are a group of fleshy fungi with pores or tubes underneath. Taxonomically, the polypores are complicated and not completely understood, with an amazing amount of morphological diversity. While many can be identified by their macro features and the host tree they are attached to, if a mushroom grows on a large stump in the middle of a forest of small trees it may be hard to identify the tree and the mushroom. In this case, other features are needed to identify the polypore, and micro-CT provides an excellent alternative to assist with fungi identification and analysis through microstructure studies. 

Figure 1: Volume rendering of the overall mushroom specimen.

This micro-CT visualization of a large tree mushroom allows us to demonstrate the large sample volume capacity provided by the SkyScan1273 without sacrificing fine detail. As can be seen in Figure 1, the large tree mushroom, roughly 4” in width,  is easily accommodated within the scanning bounds.

Figure 2: Transaxial cross-section of the mushroom specimen (top); zoomed in, pseudo-color enhancement of porosity (bottom).

In Figure 2, virtually cross-cutting the sample in various directions using DataViewer and zooming in reveals the very fine details of the mushroom morphology against a dark background. The microscopic spore bearing cells, or Hymenium, are easily observed and may be segmented in CTAn for quantitative analyses. Additionally, hidden features, such as growth rings and worm burrows, are observed in the tree mushroom which have previously only described with destructive sampling, testifying to the high-level scientific observations that can be achieved through non-destructive imaging with the SkyScan 1273.

Conclusions

The SkyScan 1273 is capable of accommodating samples up to 500 mm length, 300 mm diameter, and a maximum weight of 20 kg without sacrificing image quality and fine-scale details. The tree mushroom contains microscopic spore containing cells that can easily be viewed in a high-quality oversize scan lasting just over 2 hours, as well as other features that could only be observed previously through destructive imaging procedures.

Scan Specifications

Sample                               Tree Mushroom

Voltage (kV)                      70

Current (uA)                      53

Pixel Size (um)                  51

Rotation Step                    0.2

Scan Time (HH:MM:SS)  02:13:24

This scan was completed on our high speed SkyScan 1273 system at the Micro Photonics Imaging Laboratory in Allentown, PA. Reconstructions were completed using NRecon and visualization of 2D and 3D results were completed using DataViewer and CTVox.

 

 

 

Related Products

Related Articles

US Partner Form









    Coming Soon:

    Customer access to tips and instructional videos, method notes, tutorials, application notes, and other content to support your research.

    Employment

    Our people are the key to our success.

    We seek and employ talented scientists who have the curiosity and knowledge to offer intelligent collaboration with the researchers who are our customers. We don’t have any openings but would be happy to receive resumes to hold on file.

     

    Please submit resumes to: info@microphotonics.com

    Micro Photonics Inc.
    1550 Pond Road, STE 110
    Allentown, PA 18104

    Events

    CONFERENCES

    WVC Annual Conference
    Las Vegas, NV
    February 19-21
    Booth 1484

    ORS
    February 8-10, 2025
    Phoenix, AZ
    Website

    MD ANDERSON PRECLINICAL IMAGING CONFERENCE
    April 9-11, 2025
    MD Anderson
    Houston, TX

    AALAS
    November 9-13, 2025
    Long Beach, CA
    Website

     

    Privacy Policy

    What information do we collect? We collect information from you when you register on our site, place an order, subscribe to our newsletter or fill out a form. When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: name, e-mail address, mailing address, phone number or credit card information. You may, however, visit our site anonymously.
    What do we use your information for? Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:

    ; To personalize your experience (your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs).

    ; To improve customer service (your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer service requests and support needs).

    ; To process transactions. Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested.

    ; To send periodic emails .The email address you provide for order processing, will only be used to send you information and updates pertaining to your order.Note: If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, we include detailed unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email.

    Terms and Conditions

    Terms of Service for www.microphotonics.com

    Introduction. Welcome to www.microphotonics.com. This website is owned and operated by Micro Photonics Inc. By visiting our website and accessing the information, resources, services, products, and tools we provide, you understand and agree to accept and adhere to the following terms and conditions as stated in this policy (hereafter referred to as ‘User Agreement’), along with the terms and conditions as stated in our Privacy Policy (please refer to the Privacy Policy section below for more information).

    This agreement is in effect as of October 25, 2018.

    We reserve the right to change this User Agreement from time to time without notice. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this User Agreement periodically to familiarize yourself with any modifications. Your continued use of this site after such modifications will constitute acknowledgment and agreement of the modified terms and conditions.

    Responsible Use and Conduct. By visiting our website and accessing the information, resources, services, products, and tools we provide for you, either directly or indirectly (hereafter referred to as ‘Resources’), you agree to use these Resources only for the purposes intended as permitted by (a) the terms of this User Agreement, (b) the terms of any applicable confidentiality, non-disclosure, or other agreement between you and a third party, and (c) applicable laws, regulations and generally accepted online practices or guidelines.

    Call Now Button