Stunning images from Wellcome Image Awards

Microparticle drug delivery

This image shows the synthetic polymers used to coat a drug, either to target the release of the drug in a specific part of the digestive tract or to allow the drug to be released slowly. Polymers play an important role in reducing side-effects of drugs, as well as the number of times a patient needs to take a medication. Scanning electron micrograph images are taken in black and white and are coloured later. The orange spheres contain the drug and the encapsulating co-polymers are coloured blue.

Villi in the small intestine

3D reconstruction of villi in the small intestine of the mouse. Villi are small finger like projection that cover the internal surface of the small intestine to increase the surface area and assist in digestion. This images was created from a wholemount that had a fluorescent stain applied to mark different cellular components. The tips of the villi have been cropped away to show the internal morphology. The red shows the F-actin (stained with rhodamine phalloidin), which cover the surface of each villus. Cell nuclei are labelled blue (stained with DAPI).

Lung cancer cell

A single cell grown from a culture of lung epithelial cancer cells. The purple spheres are ‘blebs’: irregular bulges where the cell’s internal scaffolding – its cytoskeleton – becomes unlinked from the surface membrane. Scanning electron micrograph.

Sensory nerve ending of hair follicle

This image highlights the sensory nerve endings at the end of a hair follicle. Sensory nerves are nerves that receive sensory stimuli, which sense movement, pressure and pain. This colourisation in this image was effected by treating the tissue with silver nitrate. The nerve axons are stained black.

Compact bone

These circular structures are regions of compact bone from a human femur. Compact bone forms a hard outer shell around the spongy bone that makes up the marrow space in the centre.

This image is naturally striking. No colour has been added to the specimen, yet the vascular canals almost appear as though they are bleeding

In vitro fertilisation

This image shows sperm and an egg (or ovum) at the moment of conception by in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The egg is surrounded by protective cumulus cells around the outside surface, coloured yellow. The sperm need to penetrate the membrane surrounding the egg, called the zona pellucida, if successful fertilisation is to occur. Light micrograph.