Baby bones, human stem cell win Wellcome Awards

 

A watercolour and ink painting of the devastating Ebola virus takes pole position in 2016 Wellcome Image competition while stunning images of bones from skeletal remains of children, stem cells and maize leaves bag winning places.

 

An intricate illustration of a cross-section through a deadly Ebola particle from David Goodsell, RCSB Protein Data Bank, has won this year's 2016 Wellcome Image Awards.

 

Goodsell created the scientifically accurate painting after poring through research literature on the size and interactions between relevant particle molecules.

 

He then sketched and painted each molecule methodically, outlining the final structures in pen.

 

 

"David Goodsell uses detailed data and his scientific knowledge, along with his talent as an artist, to reveal the structure and function of Ebola," highlights Catherine Draycott, Head of Wellcome Images and judging panel chair. "[He] combines technology and creativity to communicate science."

 

Meanwhile, micro-computed tomographs of historical bones from skeletal remains of children who died in the 19th century, and donated by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, received recognition from the Wellcome judges.

 

As children develop, bone structure changes, as captured in a series of micro-CT images of backbone bones, from medical doctor, Frank Acquaah.

 

Virtual X-ray slices of bone were taken and used to create a digital 3D model. Spheres of different sizes were virtually cut out from the model, to ensure that the same part of the bone was analysed in each case.

 

 

“I think these are reminiscent of ancient Chinese seals or ‘chops’, used to sign documents, calligraphy or a painting," says Robin Lovell-Badge, Head of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics at the Francis Crick Institute. "Here, the changes in bone as we mature provide a signature of our age and reveal the art inside us,"

 

Confocal microscopy images also took winning places.

 

"Engineering human liver tissue" received recognition with panel judge Anne Deconinck, MIT saying: "This image with the heart-shaped patch of engineered liver cells beautifully conveys the promise of scientific advancements to overcome the challenges of organ shortages and disease."

 

Washington University and MIT researchers Chelsea Fortin, Kelly Stevens and Sangeeta Bhatia, placed a small piece of human liver tissue into a mouse with a damaged liver.

 

 

As shown in the image, human liver cells (red/orange) and human blood vessels (green) in the new liver have grouped together and started to grow using blood (white) from the mouse.

 

Paula Alexandre from University College London also used confocal microscopy to capture a stem cell dividing in the brain of a zebrafish before it hatches.

 

Starting at about 8 o’clock, this stem cell divides, clockwise, to make two different cells: a nerve cell (on the outside, turning from purple to white) and a further stem cell that can continue to divide (inside, staying purple).

 

 

"The image of a dividing stem cell in the brain of a zebrafish is like eye candy for the nerdy, artsy and the nosy," says Deconinck. "Its beautiful symmetry and clock-like progression elegantly illustrate the simultaneous paths of the daughter cells."

 

"Together, they open up a window into developmental biology, explaining visually what words cannot adequately convey,” she adds.

 

Meanwhile, Fernán Federici, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and University of Cambridge, used confocal microscopy to peer inside a cluster of leaves from a young maize (corn) plant, revealing stunning detail and structure.

 

 

Each curled leaf consists of myriad small cells (small green square and rectangle shapes), and inside each cell is a nucleus (orange circle), the part of the cell which stores genetic information. 

 

“Although seeming boring when viewed with the naked eye, maize leaves have such a delicate and intricate structure under the microscope, captured so wonderfully by this picture," says judge James Cutmore, BBC Focus. "The level of detail as demonstrated by the image reminds us how complex even relatively simple organisms are when seen on this scale.”

 

Cryo-electron microscopy also featured amongst the winners with digitally-coloured 'Human stem cell', captured by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman, King’s College London, applauded by judges.

 

 

“Amongst the many colourful electron micrographs that we had to judge this one was a refreshing surprise," points out Eric Hilaire, The Guardian. "This stem cell, from a healthy person’s bone marrow, looks like a nebula frozen in time at cryogenic temperatures despite having a diameter of only 0.015 mm."

 

"It also illustrates another characteristic of pictures produced with this type of technique: sharpness,” he adds.

 

Meanwhile the creator of digital illustration, 'Clathrin cage', heavily relied on cryo-EM data to construct the image of the cellular protein.

 

Maria Voigt from the RCSB Protein Data Bank used cryo-EM information on the sequence, shape, size and fit of the cage building blocks, and then analysed the data further to determine the 3D molecular structure of the protein.

 

 

"This image is a great example of an insightful scientific illustration that visualises real data in an interesting, accurate and informative way," says Cutmore. "Illustrations this clear are a godsend in science communication, where sometimes even the easiest idea or process can be difficult to conceptualise.”

 

Other winners included a super-resolution micrograph of Toxoplasmosis-causing parasites and a TEM image of bacteria on graphene oxide.

 

See more images here.