PICTURE OF PLANT SEX WINS ART CONTEST
A picture of a plant having sex has won top prize in a scientific
art competition.
The photo of a green alga called spirogyra having sex won the
annual Novartis/Daily Telegraph Visions of Science contest.
It was taken by Professor David Mann, senior principal research
scientist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The subtle sex in the photo, in which the contents of cells fuse,
was recorded using a light microscope.
Colours were introduced using a special interference technique and
digital manipulation, to give more definition and contrast to the
green alga.
Professor Mann said: "I am delighted to have won this award. It's
the first time I have entered this competition and it came as a
very pleasant surprise to win.
"Algae are amazing organisms, not only for their role in the
earth's eco-system but also for their shapes and patterns, which
are often beautiful but sometimes bizarre."
He also received a highly commended award for an image of a diatom,
as did his colleague and former 2001 winner, Frieda Christie for
her picture of a conifer species found in New Caledonia.
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