UBC photo wins life sciences image competition, set to light up Times Square

A fruit fly’s neuromuscular junction stained for extracellular matrix proteins (green and blue) and the nerve terminal (red).

A vibrant microscopic closeup of a fruit fly’s neuromuscular junction captured by UBC researchers is one of three winners of GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ 2013 world-wide Cell Imaging Competition. The photo, stained in blues, greens and reds, will be displayed in New York’s Times Square this April.

“Science can be very beautiful,” says UBC zoologist Vanessa Auld, whose lab submitted the winning image to the competition’s microscopy category. “I’m fortunate to get to explore how the nervous system develops, and to see beautiful images like this generated by the lab almost every day.”

The competition attracted over 100 entries from scientists using either GE’s high-content analysis technologies or high- and super-resolution microscopes to investigate at the cellular level a wide variety of diseases such as cancer, muscle disease and the effects of parasitic infections. More than 23,000 votes were cast by the public in the competition.

“This year’s three winning images are once again incredibly beautiful and compelling, reminding us of the cellular complexity behind disease and why the study of cells is so important,” says Eric Roman, General Manager of Research and Applied Markets, GE Healthcare Life Sciences. 

“We’re delighted to receive so many outstanding entries to the competition, which highlights how cell imaging is helping scientists explore the universe of the cell.” 

Auld’s team uses fruit flies to visualize and study the role glial cells play in the development and function of the nervous system. Glia--often referred to as the glue of the nervous system--support and protect neurons, supply neurons with nutrients, guide their development and modulate neuronal function. Her work has shown that the glia of the peripheral nervous system in fruit flies are strikingly similar to vertebrate peripheral glia, and that disruptions in the glia of the peripheral nervous system lead to disruption of development, loss of nervous system function, neurodegeneration and death.

The competition's two other winners are Martin Barr from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland and Graham Wright from A*STAR, Singapore.

GE Cell Imaging Competition Gallery www.gelifesciences.com/cellimagecompetition

About the GE Healthcare 2013 Cell Imaging Competition The Cell Imaging Competition, supported by BioTechniques, celebrates the exceptional research of scientists across the world using IN Cell Analyzer, DeltaVision™ Elite and DeltaVision OMX™ systems in their work. Voting started on 14th November 2013 and continued online until 7th January 2014. Alongside the online voting, attendees at two conferences (ASCB, December 14-18, USA and MBSJ, December 3-6, Japan) were also invited to vote for their favourite. The votes were combined to select up to a possible maximum of four winners. One main High-Content Analysis winner, one main Microscopy winner, plus a regional winner from any region not represented by the winners of these two categories. The three regions are; North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa; Asia and the rest of the world (including Australia and New Zealand). Details of the judging panel can be found here and full terms and conditions can be found here.

About GE Healthcare GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter - great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

“I’m fortunate to get to explore how the nervous system develops, and to see beautiful images like this generated by the lab almost every day.”

Chris Balma
balma@science.ubc.ca
604.822.5082
c 604-202-5047