This image by UCSD researcher Thomas Deerinck is the finalist of the 2006 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition.
From a statement by Olympus:
Deerinck’s image was captured as part of research into neurofibromatosis, a usually fatal childhood illness that can cause tumors to form on the optic nerve and other locations in the nervous system. The image shows the optic fiber layer responsible for conducting information from the retina to the brain. Deerinck, who takes home Olympus products valued at $5000 as his prize, works at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research at the University of California, San Diego.
Another key 2006 BioScapes Competition winner is a striking video depicting what has been described as the first-ever visualization of cytotoxic T-Cells zeroing in on target cells and killing them. The video was captured by Dr. Thorsten Mempel of Harvard University (Fifth Prize). Still other fascinating and beautiful images depict the muscles that make the singing toadfish “sing,” cervical cancer cells, a new insect species, a human fingertip, a variety of flowers and plants, and a close-up showing how a wound in living tissue begins to heal itself.
The Olympus BioScapes competition is the world’s premier platform for honoring images and videos of plant, animal and human subjects as captured through light microscopes. Any life science subject is eligible, and entries are judged based on the science they depict, their aesthetics (beauty and impact of the image), and their technical merit. This year, in addition to Prizes 1-10, 54 other images and movies were recognized with honorable mentions. All images and the names of all honorees may be viewed online…
Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition: 2006 Gallery
Press release…