We are very excited that our new project ‘3D microfossils’ is finally taking off! Over the course of the last few months, we have been acquiring computed tomographic images of numerous oceanic microfossils with our in-house skyscanner micro-CT scanner. Subsequently we have learned about the intricate ways of how to scan on submicron-scale (not a trivial task), how to generate surface models with our advanced CT modeling programs and we got acquainted with the world of 3D printing. Proud of the results, we are presenting 15 stunning hand-sized 3D models of foraminifera and radiolaria this week during the international Forams2018 meeting in Edinburgh (forams2018.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/). With this project we aim to promote science, create public awareness and provide educational materials for students. To take this one step further, we have partnered with artist and conservationist Vincent Mock from The Netherlands who works on transforming these 3D scans into beautiful works of art (for more information you can visit vincentmock.com). More information from UniFr on the project will follow soon.

(text by E.Feenstra)