Stem cell photo exhibition to tour Australia

A photo exhibition featuring images of stem cells in their various forms was opened today in Melbourne by Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.

Believed to be a world first, the exhibition will tour Australia to help raise awareness and inform the community about research into stem cells.

The exhibition displays the best photos entered into a competition that was open to all scientists across the nation and was sponsored by the Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC).

Each photograph is accompanied by a short explanation in plain English to inform people about key aspects of the image, what it means and its relevance to the science and potentially to health care.

"We are hopeful that this collection of quite amazing images will reach a broad public audience and contribute toward a great understanding about stem cell research," said ASCC chief executive Dr Hugh Niall in a statement.

The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, and will be on show for three weeks at 161 Collins Street, Melbourne before embarking on a tour of most Australian capital cities.