Michael Häusser and Hermann Cuntz, UCL
This computer simulated image shows synthetic pyramidal neurons, of optimised size, shape and connectivity, that are indistinguishable from those found in the real biological brain. Pyramidal cells are so-called as they have a pyramid-shaped cell body (soma), and are also characterised by long branching dendrites. They are found in the forebrain (cortex and hippocampus) of mammals and are thought to be involved in cognitive function.
Fernan Federici, University of Cambridge, and Lionel Dupuy, Scottish Crop Research Institute
Confocal micrograph showing the expression of different fluorescent proteins in the stem of a thale cress seedling (Arabidopsis thaliana). Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is an important model for studying plant biology. The middle of the image shows a region of high cell proliferation, which drives the growth and branching of the seedling.
Freya Mowat, UCL
Confocal micrograph of a retina from a one-month-old juvenile mouse. The retina is the photoreceptive organ of the eye. Due to the large size of the whole structure, this image was created by 'stitching' together six smaller images and carefully aligning them. One side was then reflected, to create the perfect symmetry and aesthetic quality you see in the image.
Anna Gordon, National Institute of Agricultural Biology, and Fernan Federici, University of Cambridge
Confocal micrograph of wheat stigma hairs (blue) infected with ergot fungus (light pink). The stigma is the female part of the plant. The plant is fertilised by the (male) pollen grain, which sticks to a stigma hair causing growth of a pollen tube into the plant's ovary, causing an embryonic wheat grain to develop.
Monica Folgueira, Steve Wilson's lab, UCL
Confocal micrograph of a cavefish embryo at around five days post-fertilisation. The embryo has been stained with an antibody against a calcium-binding protein (in green) to show different neuronal types and their processes in the nervous system. This staining also reveals taste buds, which are located around the mouth and along the body of the cavefish.
Bob Kao and Kieran Short, Monash University
Three-dimensional image showing a fetal mouse kidney at embryonic day 16 (E16). The sample was dissected whole and stained for two different proteins. The protein in green is expressed in the unspecialised embryonic connective tissue that will ultimately differentiate and form the body of the kidney. The protein in red marks the developing collecting duct system, including the renal pelvis, which is clearly observed in the centre and will funnel excreted urine into the ureter.
Kevin Mackenzie, University of Aberdeen
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the scales on the wing of a Madagascan moon moth, Argema mittrei. This moth is also known as the Comet moth, after its very long tail. The tail span is 15 cm and wing span 20 cm, making it one of the world's largest silk moths.
David Lleres, University of Dundee
Image of a human chromosome in metaphase created by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy/Förster resonance energy transfer (FLIM/FRET). The colours in this image indicate the density of chromatin in the chromosome, like a heat map (red shows high density, blue low). A low density of chromatin indicates a high level of gene expression, and a high density indicates repression of gene expression.
Nuada Medical Specialist Imaging
Diffusion tensor tractography image showing the neuronal tracts in the brain of an adult male, viewed from above. These tracts correspond to bundles of axons, which are elongated projections that extend from neurons. They form the critical connective 'wiring' that transmits chemical and electrical signals between other neurons for sensory and motor functions.
Arindam Chaudhuri
Posterior view of a popliteal aneurysm, created from reconstructing computed tomography (CT) scans taken from an 84-year-old man undergoing treatment. The femur, or thigh bone, is shown on the left, with the popliteal artery running down the middle of the image. The aneurysm is shown centre frame, with a reddish-blue appearance and eggshell-like boundary.
David McCarthy and Annie Cavanagh
False-coloured scanning electron micrograph of a honeybee. The honeybee has a hairy thorax and segmented abdomen, a pair of double wings and three pairs of segmented legs. Each leg has a different 'tool' designed for a specific function to assist in the collection and transport of pollen to the hive for the production of honey.
Ian Smyth, Monash University
Three-dimensional animation created from optical projection tomography (OPT) data that shows the developing organs of a mouse embryo at embryonic day 12 (E12). The whole embryo is imaged and positioned with the head at the top, with the tail curling round to the front.
David Bishop, UCL Medical School
Photograph showing surgeons performing a laparoscopy, commonly called keyhole surgery, which uses a specialised camera called a laparoscope and small, thin instruments that are placed into the patient's abdomen via small incisions. The procedure being performed in this image is removal of a kidney for transplant.
Derren Ready, Eastman Dental Institute
This colour-enhanced photomicrograph shows different species of bacteria that cause dental plaque - a colourless film that forms on teeth caused by the growth of bacterial colonies. The sample was removed from the mouth of a patient diagnosed with an aggressive form of gum disease.
Spike Walker
Photomicrograph of a mosquito from the Culex genus. This image shows the whole body of an adult male. The sample is from a microscope slide created in the middle of the 20th century.
Spike Walker
Polarised photomicrograph showing the rows of suckers on the foreleg of a male Dytiscus marginalis. Commonly known as the great diving beetle, these are largest freshwater beetles in the UK. They have a large streamlined body that is dark brown in colour, with a yellow abdomen and yellow legs. This image was produced by passing light through coloured filters, a technique known as Rheinberg illumination.
Spike Walker
Photomicrograph of the base of a silkworm caterpillar's proleg. Prolegs are present in most larval forms, or caterpillars, of insects in the order Lepidoptera. The prolegs are short, stubby structures that grow from the underside of the caterpillar's abdomen. Prolegs disappear as the caterpillar grows, while the three pairs of true, jointed legs remain through adulthood.
Kara Cerveny, Steve Wilson's lab, UCL
This photomicrograph shows the retina from the eye of a three-day-old zebrafish (Danio rerio). Zebrafish are small tropical freshwater fish that are widely used in scientific research. The retina is viewed here from the front, as if the viewer is looking directly into the eye of the fish. This image is of the whole eye, created by reflecting half the image across its origin to represent the naturally occurring perfect symmetry observed in the zebrafish.
Anne Weston, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK
Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the underside of a sticking plaster that has been used to treat a razor blade cut. Red blood cells and thin fibres of the protein fibrin, coloured beige, can be seen between the gauze fibres of the plaster, which is coloured blue-grey.
Agnieszka Jedrusik and Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz, Gurdon Institute, Cambridge
Three-dimensional reconstruction of a mouse embryo at the blastocyst stage. The embryo was labelled with green fluorescent protein to mark the membrane of the cells and scanned using a confocal microscope. Multiple virtual sections through the embryo were recorded every 0.4 micrometres and reconstructed using 3D computer software.
Spike Walker
This photomicrograph shows an adult ruby-tailed wasp curled into a ball. Chrysis ignita is the most commonly observed of several species of the ruby-tailed wasp. The wasp was lit with two electronic flashes while imaging to highlight the natural iridescent colours on its body.
