2020 Photomicrography Competition

Chameleon embryo (autofluorescence)

Dr. Allan Carrillo-Baltodano David Salamanca

Affiliation
Queen Mary University of London
School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
London, United Kingdom
Technique
Fluorescence
Magnification
10X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This image of a chameleon embryo, taken during the Embryology course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, highlights the aesthetics and structure of these invertebrates. It was two images with the subject submerged in liquid. Great care was necessary to avoid refraction from the liquid.

Microtubules (orange) inside a BPAE cell. Nucleus is shown in cyan.

Jason Kirk

Affiliation
Baylor College of Medicine
Optical Imaging & Vital Microscopy Core
Houston, Texas, USA
Technique
Confocal
Magnification
63X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Jason Kirk, a professional microscopist and director of the Optical Imaging and Vital Microscopy Core facility at Baylor College of Medicine, created this image using a confocal microscope combined with a variation of image scanning microscopy. It was taken primarily to benchmark the performance of the microscope systems within the facility and beautifully shows the radial arrangement of microtubules in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

Connections between hippocampal neurons (brain cells)

Jason Kirk Quynh Nguyen

Affiliation
Baylor College of Medicine
Optical Imaging & Vital Microscopy Core
Houston, Texas, USA
Technique
Confocal
Magnification
63X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This is the second of three winning images from Jason Kirk in this year’s competition (see 7th place and his Image of Distinction). A professional microscopist and director of the Optical Imaging and Vital Microscopy Core facility at Baylor College of Medicine, Mr. Kirk took this image of neurons cultured from hippocampi of newly born mice. Note the level of detail and vast number of connections (dendritic spines) between these cells in this newly born specimen. This imaging is used in research of how certain proteins affect the development of dendritic spines.