Winners of 2009 Cells I See art contest

For the second consecutive year, the Stem Cell Network has run an art contest for investigators and investigators in training who are working on Network funded research projects. The contest showcases amazing imagery and art inspired by stem cells. Submissions to the 2008 contest were printed on publications both in Canada and internationally.

Have a look at the winner and honourable mentions from the 2009 contest:

Winner: 

Hot Stem Cells

Craig Aarts, McMaster University (John Hassell lab)

Adherent mammosphere cells false coloured with a ‘hot’ colour scheme.

Honourable Mentions:

 

Skin-derived precursors differentiated into Schwann cells

Shalee Dworksi, Hospital for Sick Children (Freda Miller lab)

Skin-derived precursors (SKPs) are stem cells that are endogenous to the dermis. In vitro they can be differentiated into functional Schwann cells (SC). Here, these SKP-derived SC (SKP-SC) are expressing GFP and S100B.

Death Sphere

Renee Head and Ian Clarke, Hospital for Sick Children (Peter Dirks lab)

Similar to the fabled death star of Star Wars fame, glioblastomastem cells are poised to propagate life threatening tumors.  Thesecells proliferate and form “evil” tumor neurospheres.  This imagesymbolizes the battle of brave researchers fighting for understandingin our quest for the cure for cancer.  The image is from a tumor stemcell sphere stained for GFAP in green and BIII tubulin in red.

 

Brain-in-the-Box

Peter Darlington, McGill University (Jack Antel lab)

Actual images of cultured brain cells emerging from a computer generated Jack-in-the-Box representing a neuronal stem cell. Microglia, neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes are depicted from left to right.