Dave McCarthy and Annie Cavanagh, colour-enhanced image of a housefly (Musca domestica) on sugar crystals. © Wellcome Images

A series of dazzling, brightly coloured images that depict sober subject matters as diverse as breast cancer cells, Clostridium difficile, HIV virus and ruptured blood vessels, have been revealed at this year’s Wellcome Image Awards.

Each year the Wellcome Trust runs the awards (previously the Biomedical Image Awards) to recognise scientists who have created stunning and beautiful images as part of their research and made them available for public use through the Wellcome Library’s image repository, Wellcome Images.

Mary-Ann Thyveetil, image from a computer simulation showing a circular piece of DNA on a mineral sheet. © Wellcome Images

Science broadcaster Vivienne Parry presented the awards at a special ceremony at the Wellcome Collection in London on Tuesday March 11, and the 22 winning images went on display in the Wellcome Collection atrium from March 12 2008 onwards.

Among the winners is an image of a mouse embryo taken by James Sharpe of the Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh using a new technique called optical projection tomography. The new method can examine internal structures without the need for cutting sections.

James Sharpe, optical projection tomography image of a mouse embryo. © Wellcome Images

An image of crystals of oxidised Vitamin C by Spike Walker was also selected together with an image of a circle of DNA, created using a molecular dynamics simulation by Mary-Ann Thyveetil of University College London.

“We are delighted with the results of this year's awards,” said Catherine Draycott, Head of Wellcome Images. “The winning scientists have created stunning and beautiful images as part of their own research which can themselves be used widely in communicating science to all.”

“The 22 award-winning images for this year all have a fascinating story to tell, including red blood cells oozing from a ruptured vessel, revealing how a genetic mutation can lead to haemorrhaging similar to that seen in the blood vessels that feed developing cancers, by Anne Weston, Cancer Research UK.”

Spike Walker, crystals of oxidised Vitamin C. © Wellcome Images

Each of the winning images has been carefully selected by a panel of judges including neuroscientist and expert in visual perception, Beau Lotto; medical doctor and presenter of the BBC’s Don’t Die Young, Dr Alice Roberts; and deputy art editor of BBC Focus Magazine, Rachel Dickens, as well as Vivienne Parry.

“It was very hard deciding on the winning images,” explained Vivienne, “not only because all of them are stunning but also because we had to consider their scientific content, the skills needed to make them and also how good they were at making complex science accessible.”