Winner: Supernova Philipp Berg, University of Cambridge

Stem cells allow us to investigate the genetics involved in Parkinson’s. Stem cells from a person with Parkinson’s can be turned into a basic brain cell – these cells (with a little time) can produce millions of densely connected adult brain cells. We can see the cell bodies (in blue) and the long tendril like processes, which the cells use to reach out and communicate with other parts of the brain, (in red and green).

Runner-up: Fire in the forest Sarah Brown, University of Sheffield

This is a section of a Zebrafish brain where the brain cells have been stained green. Zebrafish are used to study a protein in Parkinson’s called alpha-synuclein (coloured red). Using these fish, we can see how the alpha-synuclein protein may affect the survival of brain cells.

Runner-up: The culture webDr Shi-Yu Yang, University College London

Brain cultures made from people with Parkinson’s represent a novel and crucial tool for investigating how the condition progresses and identifying new treatments. This picture shows what brain cells grown in a dish look like under the microscope. The different colours and shapes represent important features of these cells that are also present in the brains of people with Parkinson’s.

Blazing neurons George Joseph, Keele University

This image shows the complexity of the developing brain cells. This research aims to help identify the environmental elements necessary to grow stem cells for use in therapeutic treatments for people with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurons blooming in culture Philipp Berg, University of Cambridge

These human brain cells (seen here in red) have been made from stem cells. They allow us to study the function and dysfunction of proteins involved in Parkinson’s (seen in green). This image shows the proteins gathered at the sites of brain cell communication – the synapses.

Embers Dr Heather Mortiboys, Sheffield University

These skin cells show the intricate patterns made by the mitochondria – tiny energy-producing structures that power a cell. In Parkinson’s, these cellular batteries and the waste disposal system of the cell are faulty. We aim to find a drug that can both re-energise the mitochondria and boost the waste disposal pathway in the hope that this could slow the progression of Parkinson’s.

Survival Dr Ben Newland, Cardiff University

This image is of stem cells (shown in green) growing on two sponge like carriers (the red material) of different sizes. These carriers are designed to help cells survive the process of being transplanted into the brain, by giving them a surface to grow on before injection.

Tendrils Lucy Collins, University of Cambridge

In the middle of this image is a single brain cell. This cell was originally a skin cell and has been turned into the type of brain cell that is affected in Parkinson’s. These brain cells have tendril-like processes, which allow the cell to communicate with the rest of the brain. Making these cells is difficult, but they allow for testing of personalised drugs.

Clarity Alan King Lun Lui, Imperial College London

This image is a 3D rendering of a cube of brain tissue. A technique called CLARITY allows us to see cells and proteins in 3D by making a block of tissue transparent. In this cube we can see the fibres of the dopamine producing nerve cells that are affected in Parkinson’s (in red) and clumps of a protein that form in affected cells (in green). This imaging technique allows us to see in more detail what is happening in the brain and better understand neurological conditions.

Connections Federico Zambon, University of Oxford

This image shows brain cells that are created from the skin cells of people with Parkinson’s. Dopamine producing brain cells, the type most vulnerable in Parkinson’s, are shown in green. When these cells are in a culture dish in the lab, they tend to mass together and form huge clumps of cells that can even be seen with the naked eye.