Centenary Institute has announced the winner of its When Art Meets Science competition, which showcases the intersection between groundbreaking medical research and visually stunning imagery. You can vote online for best image in the People's Choice Awards.
The Centenary Institute is a world-leading independent medical research organization based in Sydney, Australia. Some of the conditions the institute researches include cancer, aging, inflammation, and rare diseases.
Centenary Institute scientists look at many microscope images of cells and tissues in the course of their important research. Over the years, they have discovered that some of these images are strikingly beautiful, leading them to create the annual When Art Meets Science scientific image competition in 2009. This year's winners were just announced.
“Our scientific imagery award is a window into the innovative medical research happening at our Institute,” said Marc Pellegrini, Centenary Institute’s Executive Director. “These stunning images created by our talented researchers blend the beauty of art with the rigour of science to demonstrate our commitment to new discoveries that can save lives. I applaud all participants for their inspiring contributions.”
Ka Ka Ting/Centennial Institute
Dr. Ka Ka Ting, from the institute’s Center for Healthy Aging, won first place with her striking image, “Cloudy Brain with Potential Forgetfulness.” The image shows a mouse’s hippocampus (a part of the brain involved in memory, learning and emotion) filled with round, white amyloid plaques. These plaques are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Amyloid plaques can damage blood vessels, which normally block harmful substances from entering and leaving the brain, and the damage to brain cells (blue) and blood vessels caused by these plaques can lead to the memory loss that is common in people with Alzheimer’s.
Bobby Boumelhem/Centennial Institute
Second place went to “Close to My Heart,” by Dr. Bobby Boumelhem of the Centenary Institute’s Center for Cancer Innovations. It’s an image of breast cancer tumor cells growing in a dish. Researching this devastating disease is as vividly engaging as it is important.
“We were trying to determine how breast cancer cells respond to different stimuli,” Boumelhem explains. “We measured morphological changes by microscopy using a marker that stains the cell structure (phalloidin, magenta) and cell nuclei (DAPI, yellow).”
Heidi Strauss/Centenary Institute
Third place went to Heidi Strauss, a research assistant at the Centenary Institute’s Center for Rare Diseases and Gene Therapy. “Roses are Red” is an image of a cluster of cells grown directly from a patient’s donated pancreatic tumor tissue. The cells are used to create organoids, miniature organs that retain the characteristics of the original and can be used to test new treatments.
Along with the winners are standouts like another of Boumelhem’s images, “A Bridge Between Worlds,” which shows healthy mouse pluripotent stem cells growing into neurons in the lab. Pluripotent stem cells can create any cell in the body and hold great promise for regenerative medicine. By understanding how these cells develop, scientists aim to generate or potentially replace damaged or diseased neurons. Boumelhem copied and translated the image of the developing neurons.
Bobby Boumelhem/Centennial Institute
The winners of the competition are determined by an external panel of judges. While the winners have already been announced, you can have your say in this year’s When Art Meets Science People’s Choice Award. Head to the Centenary Institute website to vote online for the best image. You can only choose one entry, so choose carefully.
Don't forget to check out our gallery for more interesting images.
Source: Centenary Institute