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The Parc Científic de Barcelona grants the awards of the 7th edition of «Fotorecerca»

By 19 de December de 2014No Comments
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«Christmas proteins», winner of the 1st prize.
 19.12.2014

The Parc Científic de Barcelona grants the awards of the 7th edition of «Fotorecerca»

The award ceremony of the 7th edition of «Fotorecerca» –the scientific photography contest held annually by the Parc Cientific de Barcelona (PCB)– was held today, Friday 19th December. The contest´s aim is to depict the research being carried out through an artistic vision. This year's winners were Felix Schübel and Ekaitz Errasti, students at Molecular Medicine group of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), who have won the 1st prize with the picture «Christmas proteins», and researchers Xavier Fernández Busquets and Marc Cirera from the Neuromalaria group of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) who have won the 2nd prize with «Psychedelic Lipos».

«Christmas proteins», the winning photograph of the 1st prize –a Samsung tablet– depicts BOAT transporters of amino acids at work in a cell that look like sparkling fire in a Christmas tree. The original image was obtained at the Advanced Digital Microscopy platform of IRB Barcelona and corresponds to the epifluorescence emitted by the fluorophores used. B0AT was transfected as a fusion protein with GFP (green). Phalloidin (red) was used to decorate actin. To give an artistic effect the colors were transformed. The more intense green to blue-violet and the more intense red to yellow. The shape of the  cell and the colors have given the optical effect of a Christmas tree B0AT-GFP signals resemble a sparking fire and actin filaments resemble the garlands used to decorate a Christmas tree.

“The image closes a paradox. Clearly it is shaped as a Christmas tree, giving the feeling of familiarity and knowledge. In contrast, we know very little about this amino acid transporter potentially involved in schizophrenia”, explains Manuel Palacín, group leader of the Molecular Medicine Program at IRB Barcelona, who collected the award today  on behalf of the scientists.

«Psychedelic Lipos», the winning image of the 2nd prize -the photography book “Genesis” by Sebastiao Salgado, a photographic tribute to our planet in its natural state- depicts liposomes that being assayed for the encapsulation of drugs specifically targeted to deliver antimalarial agents to red blood cells infected by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Morphology was examined by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy: the frozen sample was viewed with a Tecnai F20 microscope operated at 200 kV at a temperature of between -170 and -175 °C. The micrograph was taken with a CCD Eagle camera (FEI Company), and the raw image in black and white was artistically edited to give it an artificial color not to represent differences in the content of the vesicles.

Seventeen photographs were submitted to the call that were taken by staff working at the different research institutes, companies, technology platforms and other organizations located at the PCB. Winners were chosen by a multidisciplinary jury composed of representatives of the PCB, scientists and specialists in science communication, graphic design and photography, who assessed originality, artistic and technical quality, visual impact and scientific content. Besides the winners, the three finalists were: «Surrounded by» by Lara Barrio de Lara; «Bag» by Juan Lamas; and «Heart Galaxy» by Claudia Di Guglielmo. All photographs will be shown on plasma screens located throughout the reception halls.

The PCB wishes to thank the Fundació (GAEM) for its contribution to this award, giving away two tickets to each of the winners for the concert “Music moves us’, which will take place on 22 December to raise funds for biomedical research projects in multiple sclerosis.