All animals possess unique anatomic variations that help them adapt to their environment. The Grey Parrot Anatomy Project has been established in part to improve upon and create technology that allows the world to study anatomy of any animal. By understanding what is normal, we are better positioned to identify and ultimately treat the abnormal. Discoveries made through the project have already been used on a large variety of animals including humans.
BriteVu®, a novel contrast agent developed out of the project allows researchers to see vasculature (with the aid of a CT scan) down to the capillary level. In this image, the rat heart (top), iris (middle) and kidney (bottom) are perfused with BriteVu® revealing the microvasculature of each organ. By seeing the vasculature, researchers can study the effect of cancer, diabetes mellitus, infections, autoimmune disorders and much more on the blood vessels.
