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Muscle Sarcomeres [Download]
Title: Muscle Sarcomeres Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Adkins, Amy Nicole Description: 2019 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. This image captures muscle sarcomeres (consecutive green lines), the smallest functional unit of muscle, from inside a living human. The mesmerizing periodicity in the image is the naturally occurring arrangement of sarcomeres. A whole muscle(ex. biceps) is made up of hundreds of thousands of sarcomeres. For the biceps to shorten and produce force, each of these individual sarcomeres need to shorten (green lines would come closer together), producing force. Imaging and measurement of sarcomeres has, until recently, been limited to animals, cadavers, and humans undergoing surgery. With the advent of this imaging technique (second harmonic generation microendoscopy) we are able to study how muscle sarcomeres change due to disease or following an injury or surgery, and potentially link sarcomere changes to clinically observed movement deficits in these populations; knowledge which could help us design better rehabilitation interventions and/or surgeries to address movement impairments. Keywords: Northwestern Scientific Images Contest, muscle sarcomeres Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Riddled Basins [Download]
Title: Riddled Basins Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Zhang, Yuanzhao Description: 2018 First Place, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. Scientists often use computer simulations to create theoretical models of agents that interact with each other like neurons in the brain or the populations of multiple species. Each dot in this image represents a different initial condition that can lead to specific dynamics of the system. In this case, there are two possible long-term dynamics; the dots are colored orange or blue according to which one the system converges to when starting from that initial condition. You can always find a blue dot arbitrarily close to an orange dot and vice versa; these are called riddled basins. This is similar to a coin toss: whether you get heads or tails depends sensitively on the initial velocity and angular momentum of the coin, and the outcome cannot be predicted without knowing those initial conditions to infinite precision. Keywords: Chaos, Synchronization, Networks, Physics Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Magnetic Nanoflower [Download]
Title: Magnetic Nanoflower Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Nandwana, Vikas Description: 2018 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. This image shows flower-shaped nanostructures, a next-generation technology for treating cancer. These structures are 1000 times smaller than human hair and can be programmed to reach inside targeted cancer cells. They are also magnetic, allowing them to be visualized inside the body by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Keywords: Cancer Therapy, Nanomedicine, Cancer Diagnosis, Precision Medicine Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Delicate Transformation [Download]
Title: Delicate Transformation Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Arora, Srishti Description: 2018 Fourth Place, Northwestern Scientific Image Contest. This is a high-speed photograph of a compound drop of oil and water falling onto a glass plate. The droplet showcases how the two substances don't truly mix, as they interact differently with the glass surface and with each other. Keywords: high-speed imaging, fluid dynamics, splashing Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Fuzzy Wooly Ball [Download]
Title: Fuzzy Wooly Ball Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Pezhouh, Maryam Kherad Description: 2018 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. Actinomycetes are a type of bacteria that are commonly found in soil, but can also be found in humans and other animals. Like many bacteria, they can be harmless, but in some cases can cause disease, especially in patients with weakened immune systems. This image is the gram stain of actinomycetes taken from a patient with a tumor in the esophagus. Pathologists can diagnose disease processes by looking at tissue samples using a microscope. Keywords: Actinomycetes, Colony, Gram stain Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Interference, Ruptured [Download]
Title: Interference, Ruptured Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Shah, Phalguni Description: 2018 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Image Contest. Soap is known for creating bubbles of air encased by a thin film of the soap and water. Bubbles are maintained by surface tension, which keeps the water and soap molecules in place; things like dry air or another object can break surface tension and cause the bubble to rupture. This image shows a thin soap film in mid-rupture. The wiggled lines on the intact side of the bubble reflect differences in the thickness of the film. Keywords: high-speed imaging, fluid dynamics, interference pattern, bubbles Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Nano Shooting Stars [Download]
Title: Nano Shooting Stars Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Jibril, Liban Description: 2018 Third Place, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. After decades of research and trillions of dollars of investment, engineers have enabled extremely powerful computers that fit in our pockets - smartphones. This is achieved by making nanometer sized patterns on silicon to make tiny computer chips. Precise control over silicon chemistry can be used to create nanometer sized holes with various applications. If the silicon surface is not controlled, strange shapes such as the star shape can be carved out of the silicon. Keywords: Nanofabrication, silicon, semiconductor, nanotechnology Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Blooming Gelatin [Download]
Title: Blooming Gelatin Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Su, Jimmy Description: 2018 Fifth Place, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. This microscope image shows a flower-like irregularity in the surface of a gelatin-based material. Gelatin is best known as the main ingredient in Jell-O and many gummy candies. The gelatin here has been chemically altered to be stronger so that we can use it to help understand how kidney cells interact and function and to eventually engineer new kidney tissue in the laboratory. Keywords: Gelatin, hydrogels, biomaterials, regenerative engineering, scanning electron micrograph Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Rainbow Ribbons of Collagen [Download]
Title: Rainbow Ribbons of Collagen Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Berr, Alexandra Lauran Description: 2018 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. Collagen is a protein that provides shape and support to organs, providing a scaffold for living cells to grow and thrive. It is also the most abundant protein in the human body. This image shows collagen fibers in a lung tumor from a mouse. When arranged in a specific way, the fibers glow when illuminated with infrared laser light. This image is color-coded by depth to reveal the fibers three-dimensional structure. This work helps investigate how processes like cancer and aging affect collagen. Keywords: lung cancer, collagen, second harmonic generation microscopy Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020 -
Survival of a Motor Neuron [Download]
Title: Survival of a Motor Neuron Depositor: Karen E Gutzman Creator: Ozdinler, Hande Description: 2018 Honorable Mention, Northwestern Scientific Images Contest. Motor neurons are the part of the bodys nervous system responsible for movement. The upper motor neurons (UMNs) are located in the brain and carry information to the spinal cord, controlling most voluntary movements. In this image, the UMN (green) has survived, compared to the other dead cells and neurons (red). This helps us understand the conditions that favor upper motor neuron survival. Keywords: ALS, motor neuron, disease, neurodegenerative diseases Date Uploaded: 06/19/2020