Award-winning images blend science and art – cast your vote now

The Centenary Institute has revealed the winner of its annual When Art Meets Science competition, celebrating the convergence of cutting-edge medical research and captivating imagery. You can cast your vote online for the People’s Choice Awards.

The Centenary Institute, based in Sydney, Australia, is a globally acclaimed independent medical research organization. The Institute focuses on various conditions such as cancer, aging, inflammation, and rare diseases.

In their crucial work, Centenary Institute scientists observe numerous microscope images of cells and tissues. The inherent beauty in some of these images led to the establishment of the When Art Meets Science competition in 2009, now an annual event. This year’s winners have been announced.

“Our scientific image prize offers a glimpse into the innovative medical research happening at our Institute,” said Marc Pellegrini, Executive Director of the Centenary Institute. “These beautiful images, crafted by our skilled researchers, combine the aesthetics of art with the precision of science, showcasing our dedication to new discoveries that can save lives. I commend all participants for their inspiring submissions.”

Taking first place was Dr. Ka Ka Ting from the Institute’s Center for Healthy Aging. Her remarkable image, “Cloudy Brain with a Chance of Forgetfulness,” depicts amyloid plaques in a mouse’s hippocampus—a brain region crucial for memory, learning, and emotion. These round, white amyloid plaques, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, can damage blood vessels—represented in red—that usually protect the brain from harmful substances.

The damages to brain cells (blue) and blood vessels caused by these plaques can lead to memory loss, a symptom commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

Dr. Bobby Boumelhem from the Centenary Institute’s Center for Cancer Innovations clinched second place with “Close to My Heart.” This vivid image shows breast cancer tumor cells growing in a dish, underlining critical research on this devastating disease.

Boumelhem explained, “We were trying to determine how breast cancer cells respond to different stimuli. We assessed morphological changes using a microscopy marker that stains the cell structure (phalloidin, magenta) and the cell nuclei (DAPI, yellow).”

Heidi Strauss, a research assistant at the Centenary Institute’s Center for Rare Diseases and Gene Therapy, secured third place with “Roses are Red.” This image captures a cluster of cells grown directly from a patient’s donated pancreatic tumor tissue. These cells are used to create organoids—miniature organs carrying the original characteristics, useful for testing new treatments.

Among other notable entries is another of Boumelhem’s images, “A Bridge Between Worlds,” illustrating healthy mouse pluripotent stem cells developing into neurons in the lab. These stem cells can produce any cell in the body and hold significant promise for regenerative medicine. Understanding their development could lead to generating or potentially replacing damaged or diseased neurons. Boumelhem mirrored his image for artistic effect.

The winners of the competition are decided by a panel of external judges. Although the official results are out, you can still participate in the People’s Choice Award by voting online for your favorite image on the Centenary Institute website. Remember, you can only choose one entry, so deliberate carefully.

Source: Centenary Institute.