Winner 2024
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superglu epidermal impression of a soybean leaf

Donielle Brottlund, Felix Fritschi’s lab

This image shows a superglu epidermal impression of a soybean leaf and is part of a study examining stomatal density.

Instrument: Leica Thunder stereomicroscope

Winner 2023
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Teka Khan, Michael Roberts’ lab winning image

Teka Khan, Michael Roberts’ lab

Syncytialization of trophoblasts and localization of the transcription factors SMAD7 (red) and TBX3 (yellow) in syncytial nuclei. Phalloidin (green) was used to mark the cell boundaries.

Instrument: Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope

Winner 2022
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Christie Herd, Alexander Fanz's lab, winner 2022

Christie Herd, Alexander Franz’s lab

La Crosse virus (LACV) can be vertically transmitted from an infected female mosquito to its offspring. This image shows LACV within the developing eggs of Aedes albopictus ovaries, 44 hours after ingestion of a blood-meal containing LACV. Each ovary is surrounded by a follicular sheath (green/phalloidin) and is composed of many ovarioles, which grow into an oblong shape as the oocyte (developing egg) matures. In each oocyte there are nurse cells which provide nutrients to the oocyte (blue/DAPI). LACV antigen is shown surrounding the nurse cells in many of the ovarioles (red/Alexa Fluor 595).

Instrument: Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope

2020-2021

No image contests were held during 2020-2021.

Winner 2019
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2019 winner Rayne Lim, Shyam Chaurasia's lab

Rayne Lim, Shyam Chaurasia’s lab

Retinal microvasculature isolated from the mouse eye using trypsin digestion and stained with periodic acid-Schiff stain.

Instrument: Zeiss Axiovert 200M widefield microscope
 

 

Winner 2018
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Winner 2018, David Porciani, Donald Burke’s lab

David Porciani, Donald Burke’s lab

When pop art meets a glowing RNA in a dividing cell. In a dividing B-cell leukemia cell, a fluorescently labeled RNA aptamer is internalized via receptor-mediated endocytosis and transported toward the perinuclear region during endosome maturation. The fluorescence of this RNA aptamer displays a punctate pattern (clockwise from top left: magenta, yellow, red, gold) in an area proximal to the nuclei (clockwise from top left: cyan, purple, green and blue) of a dividing cell.

Instrument: Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope

Winner 2017
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2017 winner, Vinit Shanbhag, Michael Petris' lab

Vinit Shanbhag, Michael Petris' lab

Confocal microscopy of focal adhesion and actin cytoskeleton in murine breast cancer cells. Actin (red) was detected using TRITC-conjugated phalloidin. Vinculin (green) at focal contacts was revealed using anti-vinculin antibody and FITC-conjugated secondary antibody. Cell nuclei were labeled using DAPI (blue). Formation of focal contacts and orientation of actin filaments is an important determinant of cell shape, motility and invasiveness.

Instrument: Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope

Winner 2016
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2016 winner, Lori Gutzmann, Rajiv Mohan's lab

Lori Gutzman, Rajiv Mohan’s lab

The dermal-epidermal junction in a normal horse hoof. Collagen alpha-1-type III is shown in the dermis using a yellow, orange, and red heat map. Cell nuclei labeled with DAPI and pseudocolored magenta are visible most prominently in the epidermis. This image is part of a study evaluating differences in collagen between normal horses and those at two different stages of laminitis, since collagen is increased in fibrotic disease.

Instrument: Olympus widefield microscope

Winner 2015
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2015 winner, Kimberly Jasmer, Mark Honnink's lab

Kimberly Jasmer, Mark Hannink's lab

Primary normal human embryonic melanocytes immunolabelled for the melanocyte-specific markers Mel5 (Alexa Fluor 488, green) and MART-1 (Alexa Fluor 568, red). Cell nuclei are labelled with DAPI (blue).

Instrument: Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope

Winner 2014
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2014 winner, Anju Verma, Melissa Mitchum's lab

Anju Verma, Melissa Mitchum's lab

Cyst nematode feeding sites (syncytia) in Arabidopsis roots. Upon infecting roots, cyst nematodes (dark brown ovals) induce formation of syncytia (swollen roots areas) and feed from them. Normal roots are visible in the background.

Instrument: Leica M205 FA stereoscope

Winner 2013
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2013 winner, Madeline Miller, Christian Lorson's lab

Madeline Miller, Christian Lorson's lab

Mouse neuromuscular junctions in a whole-mount neck muscle stained using anti-synapsophysin (green) and alpha-bungarotoxin (red). A mouse with spinal muscular atrophy (SMN) has been treated with morpholinos that target an intronic splicing silencer within the SMN gene. These morpholinos correct the pathogenic splicing event in SMN protein, thus increasing the mouse lifespan and resulting in healthy-looking neuromuscular junctions. Maximum projection of a confocal image stack deconvolved using AutoDeblur software.

Instrument: Zeiss 510 META confocal microscope

Winner 2012
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2012 winner, Sunilima Sinha, Michael Roberts' lab

Sunilima Sinha, Michael Roberts' lab

Human embryonic stem cells treated for 5 days with the growth factor BMP4, the inhibitor of activin A signaling A83-01, and the fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor PD173074. The cells effectively differentiated to trophoblasts as indicated by a trophoblast marker KRT7 (green) expressed in cytoplasm and trophoblast-associated transcription factor EOMES (red) expressed in nuclei, co-labeled with DAPI (blue).

Instrument: Olympus widefield microscope

Winner 2011
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2011 winner, Yuefeng Guan, Shuqun Zhang's lab

Yuefeng Guan, Shuqun Zhang's lab

Selected images from a time-lapse movie showing different stages of an in vitro fertilization in Arabidopsis thaliana. Two YFP-tagged pollen tubes (red and green) were attracted by a single ovule (a). When one pollen tube (green) fertilized the ovule (b), the other (red) was repelled (c, d). Images are overlays of bright field and YFP fluorescent channels. False colors were added for enhanced visualization.

Instrument: Olympus widefield microscope

Winner 2010
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2010 winner, Brandie Morgan, Martin Katz's lab

Brandie Morgan, Martin Katz's lab

Cross section of a motor nerve root taken from the 8th thoracic spinal cord segment in a dog with canine degenerative myelopathy. Each color is a counted nerve fiber.

Instrument: Brightfield microscope

Winner 2009
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2009 winner, Tom Childs, Frank Booth's lab

Tom Childs, Frank Booth's lab

Co-cultured primary skeletal muscle fibroblasts and muscle precursor cells. Desmin-stained muscle precursor cells (red), α-smooth muscle actin-stained differentiated fibroblasts (green), and DAPI-stained nuclei (blue).

Instrument: Olympus widefield microscope

Winner 2008
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2008 winner, Yujiang Fang, Helen Mullen's lab

Yujiang Fang, Helen Mullen's lab

Shown is a paraffin section of a recipient mouse thyroid 60 days after splenocyte transfer. Thyroid epithelial cells (TECs) were identified by pan-cytokeratin (green). Transgenic overexpression of the anti-apoptotic molecule FLIP (red) in TECs (yellow, overlay) promotes resolution of granulomatous experimental autoimmune thyroiditis.

Instrument: Zeiss 510 META confocal microscope

Winner 2007
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2007 winner, Huachun Wang, Shuqun Zhang's lab

Huachun Wang, Shuqun Zhang's lab

Confocal image of an Arabidopsis embryo at the heart stage. Green color shows the expression pattern of a GFP marker gene during embryogenesis. The embryo was counterstained with propidium iodide (red) to show the cell outlines.

Instrument: Zeiss 510 META confocal microscope

Winner 2006
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2006 winner, David Chevalier, John Walker's lab

David Chevalier, John Walker's lab

Fluorescent image of GFP expression in the abscission zone of flowers from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Instrument: Fluorescent stereomicroscope

Winner 2005
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2005 winner, Katsuhiko Kondo, Bruce McClure's lab

Katsuhiko Kondo, Bruce McClure's lab

Pollen tubes in a self-incompatible Nicotiana alata style stained with aniline blue.

Instrument: Fluorescent stereomicroscope


Winner 2004

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Winner 2004

Huachun Wang, John Walker's lab

Arabidopsis thaliana mature seed showing early torpedo-shaped embryo after clearing with chloral hydrate. The image was obtained using Nomarski optics and processed for 2D deconvolution.

Instrument: Zeiss 510 META confocal microscope


Winner 2003

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Winner 2003

Jimmy Nail, Mark Kirk's lab


Winner 2002

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Winner 2002

Bec McClennan, Cathy Krull's lab

 

 

Winner 2001

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Mary Swartz, Cathy Krull's lab

Mary Swartz, Cathy Krull's lab