Brian Metscher
B.Sc. PhD
Senior Scientist
Head of the MicroCT Lab
phone +43-1-4277-56704
brian.metscher@univie.ac.at
External links
Personal homepage
Profile in ResearchGate
Profile in Google Scholar
Teaching at the Univ. Vienna
MicroCT methods blog
About me
My main research interests are in using morphological and process-based approaches to address problems in evolution and development. Among my current projects are investigations of paired fin development and origins, development and evolution of vertebrate hearts, and developing new 3D imaging methods for comparative and developmental biology.
I teach imaging courses and seminars on scientific writing in English. I also have a long-standing interest in promoting science education and countering creationist incursions.
Selected publications
Minarik, M., Stundl, J., Fabian, P., Jandzik, D., Metscher, B. D., Psenicka, M., . . . Cerny, R. (2017). Pre-oral gut contributes to facial structures in non-teleost fishes. Nature, 547(7662), 209-212. doi:10.1038/nature23008
Handschuh, S., Beisser, C. J., Ruthensteiner, B., & Metscher, B. D. (2017). Microscopic dual energy CT (microDECT): a flexible tool for multi-channel ex vivo 3D imaging of biological specimens. Journal of Microscopy (Oxford), 267(1), 3-26. doi:10.1111/jmi.12543
Herdina, A. N., Kelly, D. A., Jahelkova, H., Lina, P. H. C., Horacek, I., & Metscher, B. D. (2015). Testing hypotheses of bat baculum function with 3D models derived from microCT. Journal of Anatomy, 226(3), 229-235. doi:10.1111/joa.12274
Akkari, N., Enghoff, H., & Metscher, B. (2015). A New Dimension in Documenting New Species: High-Detail Imaging for Myriapod Taxonomy and First 3D Cybertype of a New Millipede Species (Diplopoda, Julida, Julidae). PLoS ONE, 10(8), e0135243. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135243
Metscher, B. D., & Müller, G. B. (2011). MicroCT for Molecular Imaging: Quantitative Visualization of Complete 3D Distributions of Gene Products in Embryonic Limbs. Developmental Dynamics, 240(10), 2301-2308. doi:10.1002/dvdy.22733
Metscher, B. D. (2009). MicroCT for developmental biology: A versatile tool for high-contrast 3D imaging at histological resolutions. Developmental Dynamics, 238(3), 632-640. doi:10.1002/dvdy.21857
Metscher, B. D. (2009). MicroCT for comparative morphology: simple staining methods allow high-contrast 3D imaging of diverse non-mineralized tissues. BMC Physiology, 9, 11. doi:10.1186/1472-6793-9-11
Metscher, B. D., & Ahlberg, P. E. (1999). Zebrafish in context: uses of a laboratory model in comparative studies. Developmental Dynamics, 210(1), 1-14. doi:10.1006/dbio.1999.9230