Bring your ball dates, friends, and beloved fellow scientists and take your photo of the evening from inside a cell! Don’t forget to put on the accessories provided, from specially crafted pipette necklaces to test tube tiaras.

What lies within a cell? A vibrant, beautiful universe. This microscopy image shows actin filaments—tiny fibers that form the cytoskeleton—rendered in colors based on their depth inside the cell. The result is a breathtaking glimpse into the cellular architecture that shapes life, mirroring the vastness and elegance of the cosmos itself.

The image was submitted to the Scientific Image Competition of the Imaging and Optics Facility at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA).

Authors: Reena Kumari with Isabelle Mayer, Prof. Michael Sixt
Bluesky: @reenak.bsky.social / X: @reenak52086225 / Instagram: reena_rnc

Technology: Superresolution Microscopy, 3D-SIM (Zeiss ELYRA system)