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“Geographical Maps“

Depicted is a digital section of the developing eye in a zebrafish. Specifically, these are support cells of the eye called glia cells, which have undergone 3D data processing to extract the surface of these cells. Different colours represent different depths in the studied eye. Technique: The image was acquired with the Zeiss LSM 900 AiryScan microscope, using a 40x water-immersion LD C-Apochromat (NA 1.1) objective. Processing was conducted using Fiji. Following image rotation in 3D, data were segmented and the surface extracted. Using depth-coding and application of different colour-palettes achieved the different colorations seen. 

Drosophila larvae

This shows heat-fixed Drosophila larvae expressing an infrared fluorescent protein (IFP) in the tracheal system using the Gal4/UAS system. Images were acquired in a confocal microscope (Nikon A1R+) with a 10x objective and using the mosaic modality. Stitching was done using the microscope’s software (Nikon NIS-Elements). The images were Z-projected and pseudocolored in Fiji and further processed using Inkscape.

Hatching embryo

Immunostaining of a hatching mouse blastocyst imaged with confocal microscopy

Tarsal Claw

This scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the tarsal claw of the horsefly (Tabanus sulcifrons) juxtaposes the complexity and simplicity of “nature’s Velcro.” The menacing sturdiness of the tarsal claws contrasts with the delicate nature of the tarsal pad, with fine, hooked hairs that allow the fly to hold on to animal fur.

Human dopaminergic neurons

This image shows a culture of human dopaminergic neurons generated from human stem cells acquired via super-resolution Airyscan confocal microscopy at the University of Oxford Micron facility. Dopaminergic neurons are the main cell type that deteriorate in Parkinson’s disease, partly due to toxic build-up of a protein called alpha-synuclein.

Arabidopsis leaf

Cells on the epidermis of a 3 day old Arabidopsis leaf. This is an adaptation of a linocut print created based on a microscopy image.

Catshark embryo

Ventral view maximum intensity projection from an immunofluorescence staining labeling the developing nervous system (primarily nerves and ganglia) of a stage 30 small-spotted catshark embryo (Scyliorhinus canicula). The image was acquired using a ZEISS LSM980 with Airyscan2 confocal microscope, stitched and processed using ZEN software from the same microscope.

Xenopus laevis skeleton

Skeletal staining (alizarin red and alcian blue) of a Xenopus laevis at stage 62. Stage 51 larva was treated with a Cyp26a inhibitor during forelimb regeneration. Notice proximo-distal duplication in the left forelimb.