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.”Â

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.

Maurizio De Angelis

Michael Frank, Royal Veterinary College

N. Dieckmann & N. Lawrence, University of Cambridge

Luis de la Torre-Ubieta, Geschwind Laboratory, UCLA

Prof. M. Hausser, Sarah Rieubland & Arnd Roth, UCL

Jefferson R. Brown, Robert E. Marc, Bryan W. Jones, Glen Prusky & Nazia Alam

Khuloud T. Al-Jamal, Serene Tay & Michael Cicirko

Mark Bartley, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Andrew Polaszek, Natural History Museum

Kevin Mackenzie, University of Aberdeen

Albert Cardona, HHMI Janelia Research Campus

Dr. Flavio Dell'Acqua

Gregory Szeto, Adelaide Tovar, Jeffrey Wyckoff, Koch Institute, copyright MIT

Geraldine Thompson, CMFT

All images courtesy Wellcome Images

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