The 20 Best Science Images of 2015

From particles in a mouse’s lung to a cross section of a cat’s tongue to the nervous system of a fruit fly larva, the winning images of the 2015 Wellcome Image Awards showcase things you didn’t think it was possible to see, let alone make into works of art.
Each year, Wellcome honors the best in science imaging talent and techniques. As Catherine Draycott, Head of Wellcome Images and a member of this year’s judging panel, says in a press release, “This year’s selection of winning images is not only beautiful; they bring to life an incredible array of innovative imaging techniques, and hint at stories and ideas that go beyond the visual.”
Adam Rutherford, another member of the judging panel, adds, “The breath-taking riches of the imagery that science generates are so important in telling stories about research and helping us to understand often abstract concepts. It's not just about imaging the very small either, it's about understanding life, death, sex and disease: the cornerstones of drama and art.”
The 20 winning images (shown next) will be honored at a ceremony on March 18, during which the overall winner will also be announced. Following the ceremony, the images will be displayed in 11 science centers, museums, and galleries across the world.
Pollen grains, Asteraceae // Artwork

Boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) // SEM and LM composite

Reticulum (stomach chamber), goat

Michael Frank, Royal Veterinary College
Pregnant uterus, equine

Natural killer (NK) cell immune synapse // 3D-SIM

Lungs in ribcage, Hodgkin lymphoma patient // 3D printed nylon

Cat tongue, cross section

Tuatara skeleton // micro-CT

Mouse brain, coronal view

Purkinje cell and dendritic tree, rat cerebellar cortex // SEM

Distribution of metabolites in a mouse kidney // CMP

Brain astrocyte cell taking up carbon nano-needles // SEM

An elderly lady with Kyphosis (curvature of the spine)

Parasitoid wasp Wallaceaphytis kikiae // LM

Greenfly eye // SEM

Nervous system in a fruit fly larva, serial section TEM

Healthy adult human brain // tractography from MRI

Drug-releasing depots in mouse lungs

Full paediatric sensory unit

Old model used in the teaching of Anatomy, Dublin

All images courtesy Wellcome Images