Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Monday 10 March 2014 17:48 GMT

Scanning electron micrograph of a kidney stone (nephrolithiasis). Kidney stones form when salts, minerals and chemicals in the urine (for example calcium, oxalate and uric acid) crystallise and solidify. Small kidney stones are often passed naturally but

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

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1/18In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Kidney stone, SEM

Scanning electron micrograph of a kidney stone (nephrolithiasis). Kidney stones form when salts, minerals and chemicals in the urine (for example calcium, oxalate and uric acid) crystallise and solidify. Small kidney stones are often passed naturally but larger stones can sometimes get lodged in the kidney or other parts of the urinary tract. Size of stone is 2 mm

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Zebrafish embryo

False-coloured scanning electron micrograph of a zebrafish embryo. The zebrafish, Danio rerio, is a tropical freshwater fish originating from eastern Asia and is a member of the minnow family. The zebrafish embryo has gained ground as a disease model, an assay system for drug screening and is used in cancer research. Zebrafish have many characterisics which make them suitable for biomedical rersearch. The embryos develop quickly, from a single cell in a fertilized egg to something that resembles a tiny fish in 24 hours. Zebrafish are vertebrates, meaning they are more closely related to humans than commonly used invertebrate models such as insects and worms. In addition, the embryos can be genetically manipulated and are inexpensive compared to other vertebrate models

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Lagena species

Foraminifera are marine, bottom-living predators which secrete a calcium carbonate test (external shell or case). This specimen came from the South China Sea and has a narrow neck with an external corkscrew-like thread. Imaged with crossed polarising filters. Stack of 54 images. Horizontal Field Width is 1.4 mm

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Breast cancer cells treated with nano sized drug carriers

Scanning electron micrograph of a multi-cellular breast tumour spheroid (cluster of cells) treated with nanomedicines carrying the anticancer drug doxorubicin. The purple regions show areas of cells dying through a mechanism known as programmed cell death or "apoptosis" while the blue regions represent healthy cells. Diameter of the spheroid is approximately 250 micrometers

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Nerve fibres in a healthy adult human brain, MRI

Bird's eye (axial) view of nerve fibres in a normal, healthy adult human brain. Brain cells communicate with each other through these nerve fibres, which have been visualised using diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI MRI). Diffusion weighted imaging is a specialised type of MRI scan which measures water diffusion in many directions in order to reconstruct the orientation of the nerve fibres. Since these images are in 3D, colours have been used to represent the direction of the fibres: blue is for fibres travelling up/down, green for front/back, and red for left/right. These patterns of connectivity in the brain are being used to study brain development and developmental disorders such as dyslexia

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Human heart (aortic valve) tissue displaying calcification

Density-dependent colour scanning electron micrograph of the surface of human heart (aortic valve) tissue displaying calcification in the form of spherical particles. The orange colour identifies denser material (calcified material composed of calcium phosphate), while structures that appear in green are less dense (corresponding to the organic component of the tissue). Micrographs were coloured in post-processing by combining images acquired by two modes of image acquisition that use different kinds of electron microscope detector (Secondary electron and Backscatter electron detectors). Horizontal field width is 64 microns

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Lilium flower bud, TS

Transverse section through a stained lilium bud (Liliaceae) showing the male and female reproductive organs. At the centre of the image is the pistil, the female part of the flower which contains ovules housed in an ovary. This is surrounded by 6 male anthers (white) each containing 4 pollen sacs (red circles) which will be filled with pollen grains. Around the outside of these are 3 petals and 3 sepals. Viewed with a light microscope using dark ground illumination. Horizontal field width is 10 mm

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Brown long-eared bat, x-ray

X-ray projection of a brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus), captured and killed by a cat. The brown long-eared bat is a medium sized bat with ears almost as long as its body. It is commonly found in the UK and across Europe, and all species are protected by law in the UK. The rabies virus (Rhabdoviridae family, Lyssavirus genus) can be passed to humans if saliva from an infected animal (e.g. dog, bat) enters the body for example through a bite. The virus travels up the nerves and infects the brain and central nervous system. This is almost always fatal unless treated very early on. Actual size of the bat is approximately 5 cm high

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Agricultural sludge sample

False-coloured SEM of an agricultural sludge sample after burning in an oxygen atmosphere. Silver oxide structures and structures rich in calcium carbonate (calcareous) can be seen. The background (blue) corresponds to the surface of a zirconia crucible (container that can withstand very high temperatures) which is used to burn the sample in. Burning the sample in the presence of oxygen allows total carbon (C), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) content to be measured (elemental analysis). A wide range of organic and inorganic samples can be analysed in this way including soils, sludge, water, fuels, polymers, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This technique can also be used in environmental studies to verify the quality or contamination of fuels and soils. Horizontal image width is 155 micrometres

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Astrantia major 'Hadspen Blood'

Astrantia major L. Apiaceae. Gentleman's Melancholy, Hattie's Pincushion, Mountain Sanicle, & Black-root Sanicle. It was called Black Masterwort by Gerard (1633) and Imperatoria by Parkinson (1640), 'Hadspen Blood' is a cultivar. Masterwort was cultivated as a pot-herb, recommended by Culpeper (1650) for "cold griefs and diseases both of the stomache and body". The roots were used as a purgative (Lindley, 1838) and an infusion from the whole plant as a diuretic. The botanical name Astrantia is a corruption of the old apothecaries’ name for this plant, Magistrantia, 'masterwort', implying its suitability for use only by adepts in herbalism. Distribution: central and eastern Europe. Parkinson (1640) recommended it for colds, dyspnoea, renal stone, inducing menses and for expelling a dead foetus, hysteria ('strangulation of the mother'), cramps, heart failure, epilepsy, purulent wounds and ulcers, and 'reviving the abilitie of generation being almost extinct' which Parkinson doubted, quartain fevers, colic and for purging the brain. Pommet (1712) gave a completely different list: against poisons, stinking breath, malignant and pestilential diseases, vertigo, apoplexy, palsies, toothache, scabby head, and agrees with its use for ulcers. Not used now, but as it is purgative, in the family Apiaceae, it is likely to be toxic. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Arabidopsis thaliana flower, SEM

Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Mechanical heart pump in the thorax, DECT

Dual energy computed tomography angiography (DECT) of a human chest. The scan was performed with an extremely low radiation dose on a patient who had received a mechanical heart pump while waiting for a heart transplant. The image was rendered with a 3D volume rendering technique to check the wiring of the pump to the left side of the diseased heart and to the aorta (major artery supplying oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body). The pump connection to the heart was faultless. DECT has two sources of x-rays (dual source CT) at different energies, which are used simultaneously to scan the patient. The patient is scanned in a series of virtual x-ray "slices" which are then digitally reconstructed to produce a 3D image. Colours and degree of transparency can then be applied to the various tissues. DECT provides higher quality images than conventional CT without the need for exposure to additional radiation

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Seal, CT

Computed tomography (CT) of the head of a seal (Pinnipedia). The image was rendered with a 3D volume rendering technique in which the skeleton has been made opaque and the soft tissues (fat tissue) semi-translucent to reveal the skull of the animal. Conventional CT uses a single x-ray source to scan the animal in a series of virtual "slices". These are then digitally reconstructed to produce the 3D image seen here. Colours and degree of transparency can then be applied to the various tissues

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Oxidised Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) crystals

Oxidised Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) crystals, initiated by scratching a film of supersaturate. Imaged in crossed polars. Horizontal field width is 8 mm

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

CIGS, semiconductor on thin film solar/photovoltaic cells

SEM false-coloured to resemble the bow of a ship submerged in the sea, shows the morphology of a crystal of the polycrystalline compound called copper indium gallium diselenide or Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (commonly abbreviated to CIGSe or CIGS). Due to its valuable photovoltaic properties, such as high optical absorption, this semiconductor has been successfully used to make thin film solar cells and modules. The use of this type of material allows for more efficient use of solar energy, and thin film modules based on CIGS have shown excellent long term outdoor stability. Solar energy can be exploited by using solar cells to directly convert sun light into electricity. It is one of the most abundant and cleanest renewable energy sources currently available. Using renewable energy sources reduces dependence on fossil fuels and helps to protect the environment. Horizontal image width is 320 micrometres

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Medieval human mandible (lower jawbone)

Bird's eye view of a model of a medieval human mandible (lower jawbone). To image the specimen, 4800 virtual x-ray slices were captured using a micro CT scanner. These were then used to create a digital model and colour textures were applied to highlight the teeth (blue) and bone (brown)

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Head louse egg attached to a strand of hair, SEM

False-coloured scanning electron micrograph of a head louse egg (green) attached to a strand of human hair (brown). Head lice (Pediculus) feed on human blood and live in close proximity to the scalp. They lay eggs (nits) in sacs which firmly attach to individual strands of hair near the base of the shaft. Horizontal image width is 1.5 mm

In pictures: Wellcome Image Awards 2014 shortlist announcement

Deer tick embedded in skin of leg

Deer tick embedded in skin of leg. A tick (Ixodes Ricinus) attached to the leg of a man. These ticks are approximately 2.5mm long and can transmit Lyme disease to humans. They are also known as Deer or Castor Bean ticks. The head of the tick can be seen embedded in to the skin. Ticks are common in urban locations, typically parks and fields

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