Microscopic beauty of the immune system highlighted
Professor Lithgow's winning image showing early interactions between
Salmonella (orange) and the mammalian cell (blue) that it is working towards infecting
In the course of an ordinary day, a biomedical researcher might see many images that highlight the hidden beauty of the body under the microscope, such as when looking at cells, the immune system, or the nervous system. Now, two of Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) researchers have shared the beautiful secrets of the immune system in an image competition for Day of Immunology - Snapshots of the Immune System Scientific Photography Exhibition 2017.
Professor Trevor Lithgow, Group Leader in the Infection and Immunity Program at the Monash BDI, took out the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Jacques Miller's Choice Award with his image titled ‘Salmonella capture by human cells.’
Professor Jacques Miller, a special guest at the launch event for the Photography Exhibition, personally chose Professor Lithgow’s image from 44 in the competition.
The winning image shows early interactions between Salmonella (orange) and the mammalian cell (blue) that it is working towards infecting. Serovars of the bacterium Salmonella enterica can cause diseases ranging from food poisoning to typhoid fever, and researchers in the NHMRC Program for Cellular Microbiology work on Salmonella at both ends of this disease spectrum. The winning micrograph was taken by the Program's senior microscopist, Dr David Goulding.
"At this early stage in the process the human cells are alert and actively sampling the bacteria and their immediate surroundings," Program leader Professor Trevor Lithgow said.
"Unfortunately, in many cases, the bacterium wins this tussle and uses the human cell's activity to enter it and begin replication and domination from within. We are working now on ways to shift the balance of this tussle in favour of these human cells, particularly the macrophages and dendritic cells that could potentially work harder to repel the invasion tactics deployed by Salmonella," he said.
Dr Samantha Dando, winner of last year’s competition, participated this year with her image titled ‘Astrocytes surrounding blood vessels are important components of the blood - central nervous system barriers.’
Dr Dando was one of the hosts at the recent Monash BDI Day of Immunology showcase event, and was able to explain and discuss her research with visitors at the exhibition.
Snapshots of the Immune System Photography Exhibition is an annual, national Day of Immunology event. The images are displayed in multiple locations around Australia including The Meat Market in North Melbourne and the Monash Immersive Visualisation Platform at Clayton.
The purpose of the exhibition is to engage the hearts and minds of the public with science by presenting the scientific images as works of art. During the exhibition launch in early April, image entries were judged based solely on the artistic value rather than the science behind them.
The Jacques Miller's Choice Award and three other awards were announced at a ceremony on Friday 28 April as part of the Day of Immunology Public Lecture in the Melbourne CBD.
Caption: Dr Samantha Dando (far right) discussing her work in the Snapshots of the Immune System Exhibition at the Monash Immersive Visualisation Platform. Credit: Dr Gabriela Khoury, Day of Immunology, Australia and The Australasian Society for Immunology.