Using a 3-dimensional imaging technique called Optical Projection Tomography it is possible to look inside these traps and observe internal details of captured prey. The movie shows a 3-D reconstruction of a Utricularia inflata bladderwort trap shown above. This greedy plant has captured three copepods, which will be digested to provide nutrients for the plant. The Coen lab uses Utricularia gibba as a model plant to understand how the variety of leaf forms evolved.
More information about bladderworts can be found on our Utricularia pages.