Optical projection tomography is a new approach for three-dimensional (3-D) imaging of small biological specimens. It fills an imaging gap between MRI and confocal microscopy, being most suited to specimens that are from 1 to 10 mm across. The tomographic principles of optical projection tomography (OPT) are explained, its most important applications in biomedical research explored, and comparisons drawn of its pros and cons compared to a number of alternative imaging technologies.