Creativity

Seeing science

December 9, 2015

ASU Biodesign Institute employees share their work through the power of visuals

They say a picture is worth a thousand words — something that can be especially handy when talking about science. ASU researchers used the power of high resolution photography to share their work through a photo contest called Seeing Science, presented by ASU’s Biodesign Institute. From the microscopic to the macroscopic, images of science’s wonders present a creative view of an analytical discipline.

Out of more than 170 entries, a winner was selected for six categories: Photomicroscopy, Science, Artistic Science, People at Work, Science and Nature, and Smartphone. Best of Show, People's Choice and Judges Choice (Honorable Mention) awards were also given.

Take a look at the winners below:

Winner, Photomicroscopy

"Fireflower" by Honor Glenn, Center for Biosignatures Discovery Automation.
This is a bright field microscopy image of the edge of a petal that fell from a salvia flower growing outside of the Biodesign building.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, Science and Best of Show

"Excreta Spectrum" by Juan Maldonado-Ortiz, Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology
Variety of colors from different fecal samples after a microbial DNA extraction.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, Silhouette

"Silhouette" by Dai Hyun Kim, Center for Applied Structural Discovery
Photo on the rock and sky.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, Artistic

"Micro-Habitats" by Charles Arntzen, Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology

Rock found in a stream in the Tonto National Forest. This simple montage of a glistening stream bed, rock, and colonizing plant life is my version of abstract art.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, People at Work

"Synthesis Lab" by Diana Khusnutdinova, Center for Applied Structural Discovery
I am doing synthesis work at my lab.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, Science and Nature

"Genetic Diversity" by Charles Arntzen, Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology
I could clearly see the evolutionary divergence in lizards, which have evolved into highly specialized (and huge) marine iguanas [on the Galapagos Island].

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Winner, Smartphone

"Horseshoe Bend" by Shadi Roshdiferdosi, Center for Personalized Diagnostics
Taken by iphone 5s.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention and Winner, People's Choice

"Photographers at Thor's Well" by Dangdang Shao, Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors
Photographers worked at Thor's Well, Oregon. They tried to captured the most impressive moment of Thor's Well during the rising tide in the evening.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"The Stain of the Brain" by Paul Coleman, Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center
This is a photo of a Golgi stained brain. The Golgi stains about 3 percent of the cells in the brain — for reasons that are still unknown — but the cells that it does stain are stained reasonably completely.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"Kitten Goddess" by Stephanie Thibert, Center for Personal Diagnostics
I took this photo with my Samsung Galaxy S4 camera in September 2015 of my kitten, Jemma, lounging on her cat tree.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"A Moment of Peace" by Josh LaBaer, Center for Personal Diagnostics
A rare moment to catch a hummingbird at rest.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"Used Tip Racks" by Duo Ma, Center for Molecular Design and Biomemetics
For all Ph.D. students, they work very hard. Such used tip racks demonstrated their contribution to science.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"Go Eat Styrofoam" by Pat Pataranutaporn, Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology
This picture is taken when I was a high school science project in Thailand. On that time, I came up with the idea to use bacteria to eat styrofoam. It turned out to be that I can identify some of the bacteria (blue) that can utilize styrofoam.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"What’s on the Menu?" by Misa Vening, Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology
Petri dish culture of environmental sample under a dissecting microscope. The source is a restaurant menu.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"Force of Nature" by Josh LaBaer, Center for Personal Diagnostics
Capturing the effect of years of water flow on these rocks.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Honorable Mention

"Unique" by Dobrin Nedelkov, Center for Molecular Design and Biomemetics
A single orange cap in a sea of black caps.

Photo courtesy Biodesign Instiute

Students, staff and faculty view the entries on display at the Seeing Science reception Dec. 9 at the Biodesign Institute. During the reception people voted on the People's Choice award and the winners were announced.

Deanna Dent/ASU Now

Research scientist Honor Glenn laughs with friends as she checks out the other images before the announcement of the winners at the Seeing Science reception. Glenn's photo "Fireflower" was the winner in the photomicroscopy category.

Deanna Dent/ASU Now

ASU student Darren Thifault votes for his favorite photo for the People's Choice award before the announcement of the winners at the Seeing Science reception Dec. 9.

Deanna Dent/ASU Now

Dangdang Shao, from the Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, receives the People's Choice award at the Seeing Science reception. She won for her photo "Photographers at Thor's Well."

Deanna Dent/ASU Now

microscopy image of the edge of a flower petal

Variety of colors from different fecal samples

Photo on the rock and sky

Rock found in a stream in the Tonto National Forest

synthesis work in a lab

lizards on the Galapagos Island

Photographers at Thor's Well

Golgi stained brain

close-up of cat

hummingbird on branch

bacteria eating styrofoam

Petri dish culture

rocks carved by water flow

orange cap among black caps

overhead view of people looking at photos on display

woman looking at photos on display

person placing vote on piece of paper

man handing woman award

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ASU Insight: Reframing the Debate around CRISPR and Genome Editing

Emma Frow, Assistant Professor

December 09, 2015 8:30am—10:30amResearchers’ ability to alter and design genomes has taken a leap forward in recent years with the development of CRISPR, a remarkably precise genome-editing tool that scientists are now using in many species (including bacteria, plants, and mammals). The spotlight on CRISPR has intensified dramatically since the April 2015 publication of the first study using C...

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ASU Insight: Reframing the Debate around CRISPR and Genome Editing

December 9, 2015

December 09, 2015 8:30am—10:30am Emma Frow, Assistant Professor in the School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society Download Full Image

Researchers’ ability to alter and design genomes has taken a leap forward in recent years with the development of CRISPR, a remarkably precise genome-editing tool that scientists are now using in many species (including bacteria, plants, and mammals). The spotlight on CRISPR has intensified dramatically since the April 2015 publication of the first study using CRISPR in human embryos. Scientists are at the forefront in responding to this development, and are setting up meetings and committees to discuss the implications, direction, and regulation of genome-editing technologies. In doing so, they are largely defining the terms of public debate. This talk will discuss this now-familiar pattern of action around emerging technologies. What are the limits to this approach? To what extent can or should scientists shape society’s response to new technologies? Do we need new models for responsible governance of biotechnology in the 21st century?

Ken Fagan

Ken Fagan

Videographer, ASU Now

480-727-2080 kenneth.fagan@asu.edu