Wellcome Image Awards reveal the stories behind science
15 October 2009
Nineteen extraordinary images have been chosen by a panel of judges based on the ability of the picture to communicate the wonder and fascination of science. From capillary networks and liver cells to summer plankton and bird of paradise seeds, miniature worlds are explored through microscopy and electron micrographs. Cutting-edge techniques reveal the intricate nerve endings around our hair follicles, and the beautiful patterns in compact bone and aspirin crystals.
The selected images are now on display at Wellcome Collection, as well as on the Image Awards website, which explains the stories behind the pictures: how the images were created, what they add to scientific understanding and why the judges picked them out as the best images this year.
To mark the tenth Wellcome Image Awards, two additional categories were included this year in photography and illustration.
There were also two special awards, one given to the makers of animations showing the intricate structure of a mouse's head during development and the other for the unique capture of sensory nerve endings, both showing an astonishing level of detail and accuracy that has previously not been possible with conventional microscopy techniques.
Dr Alice M Roberts, anatomist, biological anthropologist, author and broadcaster, presented awards to the 13 successful scientists and artists behind the winning images.
Dr Roberts said: "Imaging and imagery can help scientists in many ways: to understand structures that are too small to be seen by the naked eye, or perhaps to elucidate the relationship between structure and function, or even to illustrate abstract ideas that are otherwise difficult to grasp. Images also form a bridge, a way in which non-scientists or indeed researchers in a separate discipline may be able to appreciate concepts that are otherwise quite esoteric.
"But as well as deepening understanding, the art of science can also be - in its own right - beautiful and awe-inspiring. I hope you will agree that this year's selection of Wellcome award-winning images are both stunning and thought-provoking."
Wellcome Image Awards 2009 exhibition
Dates: 15 October 2009-Spring 2010
Venue: Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
Admission free
Opening times
Mon: closed
Tue, Wed: 10.00-18.00
Thu: 10.00-22.00
Fri, Sat: 10.00-18.00
Sun: 11.00-18.00
Image: Seed from a bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia reginae)
Scanning electron micrograph by David McCarthy and Annie Cavanagh, School of Pharmacy, University of London
Contact
Michael Regnier
Media Officer
Wellcome Trust
T +44 (0)20 7611 7262
E
m.regnier@wellcome.ac.uk
Notes for editors
The judges were: Dr Gonzalo Blanco, Head of Bioimaging at MRC Harwell; James Cutmore, Picture Editor at 'BBC Focus' magazine; Catherine Draycott, Head of Wellcome Images; Dr Beau Lotto, neuroscientist at UCL; and 16-year-old Harriet Foyster from Lincolnshire, the winner of last year's competition for a place on the judging panel.
Wellcome Images
Wellcome Images allows unlimited access to a vast catalogue of medical images, manuscripts and illustrations exploring the meaning of medicine, its history and current practice.
All content has been made available under a Creative Commons Licence, which allows users to copy, distribute and display the image, provided the source is fully attributed and it is used for non-commercial purposes.
The images are also available for all media uses; contact Wellcome Images for more information.
Everything from an oil painting of Florence Nightingale and a picture depicting Charles Darwin as an ape, to a photograph of Alexander Fleming in his laboratory are part of this unique collection. The images aid teachers and researchers to illustrate themes from medical and social history through to contemporary healthcare and biomedical science, and to bring complex biomedical concepts to life.
The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.
The Wellcome Trust's former headquarters, the Wellcome Building on London's Euston Road, has been redesigned by Hopkins Architects to become a new £30 million public venue. Free to all, Wellcome Collection explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. The building comprises three galleries, a public events space, the Wellcome Library, a café, a bookshop, conference facilities and a members' club.