Evident names 2022 Image of the Year Award winners

Evident has unveiled the winners of its fourth Global Image of the Year Scientific Light Microscopy Award (Image of the Year, or IOTY, Award) — an annual competition that recognises the best in scientific imaging. The winners were selected from 640 images submitted from 38 countries around the world.

The competition began with Olympus in 2017 as the Image of the Year European Life Science Light Microscopy Award, with the aim to celebrate both the artistic and scientific value of microscopy images. This year’s competition called for participants to submit their best scientific images between 4 October 2022 to 31 March 2023, with all entries evaluated on artistic and visual aspects, scientific impact and microscope proficiency.

Laurent Formery from the United States, who received an honourable mention from the competition two years ago, won the grand prize of an Olympus SZX7 stereo microscope with a DP23 digital camera for his stunning image of the nervous system of a juvenile sea star (Patiria miniata). The small sample, about 1 cm wide, was labelled with an antibody against acetylated tubulin after optical clearing and captured using a colour-coded Z-projection. Formery chose to image this sea star to showcase the beauty of science in the oceans.

Nervous system of a juvenile sea star (Patiria miniata) about 1 cm wide.

“I work with marine invertebrates, in particular echinoderms (sea stars, sea urchins and their kind),” Formery said. “They are beautiful animals, with a fascinating and aesthetically pleasing fivefold symmetry that is unlike anything else in the animal kingdom. We know little about how these animals shape their fivefold body, which is the topic of my research. Echinoderms, and marine invertebrates in general, are often not well-known animals. I’m happy that taking images of them helps communicate how much beauty we have in our oceans, and why it is important to know more about them and protect them.”

Shyam Rathod from India was selected as the winner of the new dedicated category for materials science and engineering images. Rathod will receive an Olympus SZ61 stereo microscope for his colourful image showing the crystal of a topical medicine for wart treatment; the dew was blown on a microscope slide with a straw and was captured in a single frame, while retarder and a two-cross polarisation filter were used to bring out the colours.

Crystal of a topical medicine for wart treatment named ABE, which is available in Poland.

There were also three regional winners, each of whom will receive an Olympus CX23 upright microscope or SZ61 stereo microscope. EMEA regional winner Javier Ruperez (Spain) imaged scales of the wing of the Urania rhipheus moth, captured at 20x; Americas regional winner Igor Siwanowicz (USA) submitted a depth colour-coded projection showing a germinating pollen grain of a morning glory attached to the stigma; and Asia-Pacific regional winner Jiao Li (China) showcased edelweiss stamens which were scanned and reconstructed in three dimensions using laser scanning confocal microscopy.

Javier Ruperez’s scales of the wing of the Urania rhipheus moth, captured at 20x.

Igor Siwanowicz’s depth colour-coded projection showing a germinating pollen grain of a morning glory attached to the stigma.

Jiao Li’s edelweiss stamens, scanned and reconstructed in three dimensions using laser scanning confocal microscopy.

“Each year, we receive an array of microscope images that masterfully blend art and science,” said Satoshi Nakamura, Vice President of Global Marketing at Evident. “This year’s new materials science and engineering category adds another dimension to our imaging contest, bringing attention to the beauty of samples in all aspects of science.

“We are honoured to receive so many life science and materials science images from around the world demonstrating the versatility of the art of science.”

Top image credit: iStock.com/picharnyut