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Down the Rabbit Hole 

First Place | Still Image
Created | 2024

To look deeply into the structures of life, scientists use a range of inventive methods. 

Here, we see one of the many small holes in a mist generator – an ultrasonic humidifier that has been adapted by WEHI researchers for use in 3D cryo-electron microscopy. 

The black hole at the centre of this image is about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. 

Researchers spray fine mists of protein molecules onto a surface, which is then frozen and transferred into an electron microscope. The frozen protein molecules are photographed at a magnification of about 100,000 times to visualise their structure.  

Knowing the structure of a disease-causing protein helps scientists develop precision treatments that can target exactly the right molecule, so patients will experience fewer side effects. 

Artists

Andrew Leis Mihin Perera Shabih Shakeel

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