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
More Science and technology
West Valley community gets preview of Dreamscape Learn's immersive biology, chemistry lessons
About 100 faculty, students and community members gathered at Arizona State University’s West Valley campus to step inside a new kind of classroom — one powered by virtual reality, storytelling and…
ASU’s Panchanathan to lead Phoenix Quantum Strategy
Phoenix is ready to make a leap into its economic future with quantum computing, and the city has asked Arizona State University to play a leadership role.Mayor Kate Gallego announced the Phoenix…
4 ASU students awarded Goldwater Scholarships for excellence in STEM research
Four students in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were named 2026 Goldwater Scholars, joining a select group of undergraduates pursuing research careers in science, engineering and…