SCS Science Image Challenge 2018 Winners

2018 Winner

Jee-Wei Emily Chen, Brendan Harley Lab
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

A Rising Moon Above the Mountain

SEM image of gelatin hydrogel added with false color composite with a glioblastoma brain tumor microshperoid ESEM image.The tumor mimetic microspheroid embedded in the brain-mimetic hydrogel will allow us to visualize tumor therapeutic responses. Acknowledgement: SEM and ESEM image was taken in Beckman Institute with assistance from Cate Wallace

Finalist

Matthew Chan, Diwakar Shukla Lab
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Molecular Machinery

Proteins are intricate molecular machines. Shown here, the serotonin transporter undergoes conformational changes to transport serotonin and ions across the membrane. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we can visualize these complex dynamics to understand of how these molecular machines can be regulated.

Finalist

Prapti Kafle, Ying Diao and Paul Kenis Labs
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Feathers of the Ocean

Presented is a cross-polarized microscopy image of nanothin films of an anti-cancer drug ellipticine on edible polymer-pullulan. The film, produced by solution shearing of the drug solution under highly non-equilibrium conditions, embraces an elegant morphology with oriented needles and spherulites, that resembles feathers of a bird, camouflaging in the ocean.

 

Finalist

Andres Arango, Emad Tajkhorshid Lab
Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology and Department of Chemistry

Molecular Dynamics of Cytochrome P450 with Endogenous Inhibitor
Virodhamine

Cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are responsible for the metabolism of many exogenous and endogenous biomolecules.
This image depicts the molecular dynamics simulations of
virodhamine, an endogenous inhibitor of CYP2J2, the predominant CYP in heart tissue.

Finalist

Marley Dewey, Brendan Harley Lab
Materials Science and Engineering & Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Fire and Ice

A scanning electron microscope image of a poly(lactic acid) 3D print (blue) within a porous mineralized collagen scaffold (red). 3D prints are used to reinforce the soft mineralized collagen scaffold, which is used for bone regeneration of large bone defects in the skull and jaw.