2025-07-22
Advanced X-Ray Imaging, Developed for Dinosaur Fossils, Reveals Traumatic Brain Damage
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are caused by impacts to the head and are common in sports, vehicle collisions, and other accidents. Severe injuries can cause permanent disability or death, but because the damage occurs deep in the brain, studying it can be challenging. Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology developed a sensitive method to scan brain tissue at the cellular level to spot traumatic injuries. Using this technique, Orgel examined dinosaur fossils from the Cretaceous period, including a 68 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex, and discovered that the preserved collagen comes from regions of the collagen structure meant to protect other, more delicate structures, including in the brain. Orgel will present his research Tuesday, July 22, at 8:30 a.m. CT at the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Crystallographic Association, held in Lombard, Illinois, July 18-23.