Award-winning work “Calcium Rainbow”
Charlotte Buckley, University of Strathclyde, British Heart Foundation – Research Reflection
Muscle cells in the lining of arteries resemble a stained glass window in this image, the winner of the British Heart Foundation’s annual Research Reflection competition. Scientists funded by the charity have submitted the most striking images from their research into conditions of the heart and circulatory system.
Charlotte Buckley The first prize winner, from the University of Strathclyde in the UK, is investigating how cells in the walls of arteries respond to calcium levels, and how this can lead to high blood pressure, stroke and dementia. Fluorescent dyes show calcium levels at different times in the recording: blue shows the mineral’s initial release from intracellular stores, while later releases progress through purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, and then white.
“The power source of life”
Agustina Salis Torres, University of Edinburgh, British Heart Foundation – Research Reflection
Another picture, shortlisted work Agustina Salis Torres Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in the UK also demonstrated muscle cells lining blood vessels. Nuclei containing genetic material are shown in blue and calcium markers are in green. Mitochondria, the energy-producing part of the cell, are stained yellow and orange.
“Triggering a new wave of atrial fibrillation research”
Aaron Johnston, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation – Research Reflection
The image above shows cells harvested from a human heart with an irregular heartbeat due to atrial fibrillation (AF). The orange and yellow glowing lines highlight a protein called filamin-A, which helps cells react to each other and change in response to conditions. The blue oval shows the cell nucleus. Aaron Johnston The Oxford professor who took the photo hopes understanding how cells change during atrial fibrillation could lead to new treatments.
“Thriving”
Victoria Rashbrook, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation – Research Reflection
victoria rushbrook Researchers at the University of Oxford, who are studying how pregnancy and infant health affect heart development, took this photo of a developing mouse embryo in mid-pregnancy. Like a blooming tulip, the pink “petals” develop into the head, the green “stem” expands to form the body, and the green “root” depicts the placenta.
“The heartbeat of teeth! Building a bridge between oral and heart health”
Susanth Alapati, University of Aberdeen, British Heart Foundation – Research Reflection
Susanth Alapati The University of Aberdeen in the UK created this graphic to highlight how poor dental hygiene can lead to bacteria entering the bloodstream, which can increase inflammation in the heart and arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. staphylococcus Bacteria living in the mouth are used to build the shape of the teeth, and the heart is formed by gum bacteria called “gingival bacteria.” Porphyromonass. Alapati is studying the connection between oral health and heart health to find ways to prevent heart disease.
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