Second Place: Brain Cell Galaxy

Photography by Peter Rodriguez, doctoral candidate,
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute

Scanning laser microscope, Confocal microscope image of a brain cell type called astrocytes. These astrocytes were cultured in a dish from brain tissue of a mouse. As the name suggests, these cells take the form of what looks like stars or galaxies. Proper astrocyte function is critical for brain health and to prevent the breakdown of brain tissue such as in the case of Alzheimer’s disease. Here, we are using astrocytes to study how oxidative stress negatively impacts the nervous system. To do this, we stain the cells so we can visualize them. In yellow, we see the cytoskeleton and in purple we see the nucleus of the cell, where the DNA is located.
Mentor: Randy D. Blakely, Ph.D., executive director, Brain Institute, and professor of biomedical science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine