Towards a Tralfamadorian view of the embryo: multidimensional imaging of development.

Biological problems such as embryonic development require tools to follow cell and tissue movements as well as the distribution of active genes. A variety of emerging imaging techniques offer the capability of fully rendering the three-dimensional structure of the embryo, and some offer the possibility of following changes directly over time. The data sets that result offer both new insights and new challenges. A framework of digital atlases will soon offer the integration of different imaging modalities and permit users to interact with multidimensional data sets.