The Methodology to produce Rhodnius prolixus head structures made by 3D printing using Synchrotron Radiation Microtomography

3D printing technology has an important role at the study animal anatomy, and, for a long time, scientists have been searched for techniques that allow to create accurate 3D replicas of plants and animal specimens. In this work it was developed a methodology to print insects 3D replicas using X-Ray synchrotron microtomography. The insect chosen was Rhodnius prolixus, a hematophagous Hemiptera traditionally used as a model for studies of insect physiology, vector control strategies and parasite-vector interactions. The results obtained from this work showed that combining microtomography with 3D printing could be a powerful tool to obtain accurate 3D replicas of insects, allowing anatomical studies without the necessity of sacrificing the animal for dissection.

Automated summary

This study developed a methodology to print 3D replicas of insects using X-Ray synchrotron microtomography, demonstrating that combining microtomography with 3D printing can be a powerful tool to obtain accurate 3D replicas of insects for anatomical studies.