Texas A&M’s Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections will play an integral role in the new oVert Thematic Collections Network (TCN). The project is supported by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant and will utilize specimens from the BRTC and other collections to make data-rich 3-D images available on-line. Texas A&M University is one of 16 institutions to be involved in this groundbreaking project, which will scan and make available museums specimens in a unique way – capturing not only external, but internal morphology. In total, 20,000 specimens representing more than 80 percent of existing vertebrate genera will be scanned utilizing non-invasive CT scanning technology. Texas A&M University will serve as a scanning hub for larger specimens, utilizing resources at the Texas Institute for Pre-clinical Studies and the A&M Libraries.

This project will begin later this fall, more details can be found within the Science article here: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/08/new-3d-scanning-campaign-will-reveal-20000-animals-stunning-detail