Picture of Health

Stem cells are seen here changing into star-shaped brain cells – in an experiment that also transformed science into art. The beauty of scientific images from this and other research projects involving stem cells inspired molecular biologist Mina Gouti to print a selection onto canvas for public viewing. As part of her exhibition, groups of children and writers were invited to describe what they saw, using their imagination. One seven-year-old boy likened the image here to moonlit raindrops falling onto a window, while a writer saw the pattern on an aunt’s favourite summer dress. Twenty images, some of them digitally enhanced for artistic purposes, were shown in the Athens exhibition, followed by a second exhibition with twice as many. Now, Mina is hoping to organise a future exhibition in London.

Written by Mick Warwicker

Mick Warwicker

Writer

A freelance communications consultant and writer, Mick specialises in science and education. A science graduate and award-winning print and broadcast journalist, he was Head of Communications at Newcastle University from 2000–2011.

Website

• Mina Gouti, MRC NIMR
• Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Greece
• Image exhibited in Stem Cell Metamorphoses: "Three glances into the original cell of our existence"