Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21

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Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
Concours FNS d’images scientifiques 2020/21
SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21
SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
The hidden face of science                                                                       2

Science is by no means a cold and disinterested activity. It is something done by real people,
with passion and devotion, involving trial and error and happy accidents. The contemporary
practice of scientific research is revealed in the 680 works that were submitted by scientists
in Switzerland to the 2020 and 2021 editions of the SNSF Scientific Image Competition.
The Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography is exhibiting a selection of the works that were
awarded prizes by the jury and those chosen by popular vote, along with an electronic music
piece set to scientific images and videos, presented by Witold Langlois, founder and curator
of METEO.

La face cachée de la science
Loin d’une pratique distanciée et froide, la science est affaire de femmes et d’hommes,
de passions et de dévouement, de tâtonnements et d’heureux hasards. La pratique
contemporaine de la recherche se dévoile au long des 680 œuvres soumises par les
scientifiques de Suisse aux éditions 2020 et 2021 du Concours FNS d’images scientifiques.  
Les Journées photographiques de Bienne en exposent une sélection, les œuvres
primées par le jury et choisies lors d’un vote public, ainsi qu’une mise en musique
électronique d’images et de vidéos scientifiques proposée par Witold Langlois, fondateur et
curateur de METEO.  

Die verborgene Seite der Wissenschaft
Die Wissenschaft ist keine abgehobene, unnahbare Disziplin, sondern entspringt der
menschlichen Natur, der Leidenschaft und Hingabe, dem Trial and Error und zuweilen
auch glücklichen Fügungen. Einen Einblick in die aktuelle Forschungspraxis geben die
680 Arbeiten, welche die Schweizer WissenschaftlerInnen im Rahmen der Ausgaben 2020
und 2021 des SNF-Wettbewerbs für wissenschaftliche Bilder eingereicht haben.  
An den Bieler Fototagen werden eine Auswahl davon, die von der Jury ausgezeichneten
und im Rahmen einer Publikumswahl gekürten Werke sowie von Witold Langlois
(Gründer und Kurator von METEO) präsentierte, mit elektronischer Musik hinterlegte
wissenschaftliche Bilder und Videos gezeigt.
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
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    SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
    Concours FNS d’images scientifiques 2020
    SNF Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
5
    Foot pad of an Asian           As part of a study on influencing factors on elephant foot health, I
                                   took pictures of the feet of more than 150 Asian elephants living in
    elephant                       European zoos. This picture shows a right front foot of a ten-year-
                                   old male from below. In the middle of the picture is the foot pad with
    Paulin Wendler                 its natural grooves working like the treads of our shoes. The brighter
                                   areas on the lateral and upper edges are the soles of the five-foot
                                   nails. When lifted (as for this picture), this foot has a circumference
                                   of 117 cm, and it expands when bearing weight.

                                   COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                   This stunning picture forces viewers to slow down, immersing
                                   them in a dazzling view of organic structures of unknown scale
                                   from something they have never seen before: the underside of an
                                   elephant foot. These intricate lines form a landscape sculpted by
                                   evolution. Their sophisticated subtlety contrasts with the image
                                   usually associated with the lumbering, heavy and almost archaic
                                   mammal they belong to. These physiological structures contradict
                                   contemporary assumptions that evolution’s efficiency consists of
                                   making organisms faster.

                                   THE AUTHOR
                                   Paulin Wendler (GER), born in 1992, is a veterinarian based in
                                   Germany. During her studies of Veterinary Medicine at Leipzig
                                   University, she pursued her interest in zoo and wild animal medicine.
                                   During her doctoral studies at the Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets
                                   and Wildlife of the University of Zurich, she conducted a project on
                                   foot health of Asian elephants in European zoos. She is currently
                                   working in a veterinary practice for small animals and horses in
                                   Brunswick (GER).

    First prize
    Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
Pesticides from                Smallholder farmers are not very strong on safe pesticide use. This
                               compilation displays pesticide bottles of mostly 100 ml, obtainable
                                                                                                       6

­mystery shopping in           by any person in agro dealer shops in Uganda. Almost all of the
                               displayed products are highly or moderately hazardous to human
 Uganda                        health. Nevertheless, sales staff do not explain safety labels or

 Curdin Brugger                otherwise indicate potential dangers. In our research we study how
                               agro dealers (don’t) advise smallholder farmers and see how good
                               their own knowledge and awareness is regarding the safe use of
                               pesticides.
                                     We recruited local farmers and sent them to buy pesticides, all
                               using the same description of a fall armyworm outbreak in maize.
                               This image displays all the products obtained in different shops
                               around the country. Safety labels are supposed to indicate the
                               level of hazard and protective measures, usually as a red or yellow
                               band at the bottom of the bottle. Looking closely, you can see some
                               unreadable pictograms and an array of wrong colours.

                               COMMENT OF THE JURY
                               The slightly random repetition in this typology of poisons echoes in
                               its chosen arrangement the situation faced by farmers: numerous
                               substances, as interchangeable as they are dangerous; highlighted
                               by the colour yellow, universal symbol for hazardous materials.
                               Familiar in art, the serial representation finds a captivating use in
                               this social science research project.

                               THE AUTHOR
                               Curdin Brugger (CH), born in 1993, is a master’s student in
                               Epidemiology at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
                               in Basel. He is motivated to improve public health in developing
                               countries, with a focus on social, behavioural and occupational
                               determinants of health. His current research investigates the impact
                               of pesticide use on the health of small-scale farmers in Uganda.

Distinction of the jury
Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
7
    Sunwalk                        In my research, I focus on public spaces and new ways of delivering
                                   mobility in Chinese cities. This shot was taken while I was
    Jérôme Gapany                  conducting ethnographic fieldwork in south-eastern Fujian Province,
                                   where daily lives are shaped by rapid urban change, sometimes in
                                   uncanny ways.
                                         Here, a woman holding an umbrella tries to hide from the sun
                                   while walking on a running track. Summer heat in south-eastern
                                   Chinese cities is an increasing challenge with rapid urbanisation.
                                   In this image, I tried to capture a fleeting moment of solitude in a
                                   densely populated urban landscape.

                                   COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                   At first sight, this very strong composition appears to mix sport
                                   and fashion; but actually it beautifully illustrates the paradox
                                   encountered by the researcher: that studying overpopulated cities
                                   involves the depiction of isolated people.

                                   THE AUTHOR
                                   Jérôme Gapany (CH), born in 1990, is a Swiss ethnographer and PhD
                                   candidate at the University of Lausanne. He holds a Master in Asian
                                   Studies from the Geneva Graduate Institute and the University of
                                   Geneva. His current research focuses on mobility infrastructures
                                   in Fuzhou city, China. His interest in photography stems from
                                   experiences in China, Taiwan, and South Korea, where he picked up
                                   his camera to document everyday politics and street life.

    Distinction of the jury
    Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
Fisherwoman in                          Norine and her lovely zebrafish. Her project is a great example of
                                        how model organisms could help us to fight diseases. Zebrafish
                                                                                                                   8

the lab                                 is a great model for studying developmental diseases since it
                                        develops externally, very fast and its organs are transparent! This
Kaan Mika                               allows scientist to observe morphological defects at early stages
                                        in the development. In order to overexpress a gene, one can inject
                                        messenger RNA directly into zebrafish eggs, or use morpholinos in
                                        order to knock down a specific gene. Moreover, with the CRISPR/
                                        Cas9 system it is possible to delete a region, induce a specific
                                        mutation or even insert a gene cassette in a desired location in the
                                        genome. Therefore, using model organisms like zebrafish allows
                                        scientists to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in some
                                        human diseases.

                                        COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                        A lively portrait which makes the researcher seem very approachable
                                        and relatable, a clear challenge to the usual representation of
                                        scientists in their lab. Instead of stereotypical white lab coats,
                                        vivid colours interact at all levels, while the scientist’s strong self-
                                        expression contrasts with the standardisation inherent in the
                                        research carried out with model animals such as zebrafish.

                                        THE AUTHOR
                                        Kaan Mika (Turkey), born in 1989, is a molecular biologist pursuing
                                        a PhD at University of Lausanne. He works with a famous model
                                        organism called Drosophila melanogaster and he investigates the
                                        olfactory system of these flies. He is a self-taught photographer and
                                        he uses Instagram to promote science, collaborating with scientists
                                        around Lausanne.

First prize
Category 2 – Women and Men of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
9
    Keep calm and                           This photo portraits my colleague and dear officemate Yuan Xiao
                                            during the final rush towards the completion of her PhD studies.
    write on                                Yuan wrote her thesis in an impressively short amount of time and
                                            brilliantly defended her PhD shortly after. I found her total dedication
    Stefano Danzi                           to it both bemusing and inspiring. It even led her to change her
                                            desktop background image to “Keep calm and write on”.

                                            COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                            A moment of intimacy captured on camera with empathy, a
                                            spontaneous movement showing a moment of relaxation during
                                            intense intellectual work – natural and relatable.

                                            THE AUTHOR
                                            Stefano Danzi (IT, 1991) is a Materials science PhD at ETH Zurich.
                                            He obtained MSc in Materials engineering and nanotechnology from
                                            Politecnico di Milano and spent one year as a visiting student at
                                            the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before moving to
                                            Switzerland. While not being a photographer whatsoever, he enjoys
                                            street photography as a graphical approach to storytelling.

    Distinction of the jury
    Category 2 – Women and Men of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Concours FNS d'images scientifiques 2020/21 SNF-Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2020/21 SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020/21
The astronomer                          To install new equipment to the telescope, it is often necessary to
                                        remove older equipment, granting a unique view into the telescope’s
                                                                                                                10

Nicolas Blind                           mirrors and internal mechanics. Until the 80s, astronomers would
                                        still sit at night in the so-called telescope cage (pictured here) to
                                        perform visual observations. With the advent of photo-sensitive
                                        electronic devices, the astronomer’s eye was progressively replaced
                                        by today’s detector arrays, which are able to count individual
                                        photons. This is therefore a rare view of an astronomer looking into
                                        the telescope focus.

                                        COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                        The choice of black and white photography avoids the expected
                                        aestheticisation of technical apparatus. A strong composition which
                                        reveals, as emphasised by the slight blur, a very rare moment in the
                                        work of an astronomer: tinkering with the hard mechanics needed to
                                        explore ethereal outer space.

                                        THE AUTHOR
                                        Nicolas Blind (FR), born in 1984, is an optical engineer working at
                                        Geneva Observatory (CH). He obtained his PhD in high angular
                                        resolution instrumentation for astronomy at UGA (Grenoble), and
                                        already contributed to several instruments of the European Southern
                                        Observatory (ESO). While he works daily with state of the art
                                        detectors, able to count individual photons, his photographic work
                                        focuses on analog processes (more specifically, original processes
                                        from the 19’s century, like wet plate collodion or cyanotype), with a
                                        pinch of digital when necessary.

Distinction of the jury
Category 2 – Women and Men of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
11
     A Surrogate Mother’s                       The photo shows the room of a surrogate mother in Kiev, Ukraine.
                                                In the last few years, surrogacy – carrying a child for others – has
     Room in Kiev                               become an important industry in the country. Especially poor women
                                                see it as an opportunity to earn within nine months a sum equalling a
     Anika König                                ten-year income. But at the same time, surrogacy is stigmatised and
                                                many women hide their pregnancies from their families and friends.
                                                Once the pregnancy becomes visible, they move to flats in the city
                                                provided by surrogacy agencies. These flats are very impersonal and
                                                look as if the surrogates were constantly on the go: they keep all
                                                their belongings in plastic bags.
                                                      The photo shows all the belongings of a surrogate whom
                                                I interviewed for my anthropological research on transnational
                                                surrogacy. The towel which was hung up to dry on a laundry rack
                                                was the most personal item in the room. During one of my visits, she
                                                was transferred to the hospital and vacated the room within minutes,
                                                leaving no trace.

                                                COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                                The strength of the picture lies in the obvious absence of its
                                                object. It reveals the invisibility of surrogate mothers in society
                                                by not showing them, the bags emphasising their precarious and
                                                ephemeral status. The composition shows a deep understanding of
                                                what photography can achieve, both carrying respect and empathy
                                                for its subject while maintaining a distance, similarly to quality works
                                                known from photojournalism.

                                                THE AUTHOR
                                                Anika König (D) is a senior lecturer at the Department of Ethnology
                                                at the University of Luzern. She obtained an MA in Social and
                                                Cultural Anthropology from Freie Universität Berlin and Sociology
                                                from Technische Universität Berlin, and a PhD in Anthropology from
                                                the Australian National University. Her current research focuses on
                                                transnational gestational surrogacy commissioned by Swiss and
                                                German intended parents.

     First prize
     Category 3 – Places and Tools of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Siberian trees witness                     This picture shows several hundred-year-old living and relict larch
                                           (Larix cajanderi Mayr) trees on the extensive, 56 km-long lava flow of
                                                                                                                    12

1000 years of climate                      the Anyui volcano in northeastern Siberia (around 68°N and 166°E).
                                           While the volcanic complex in Russia’s far Northeast is mainly
change                                     unexplored, it provides a unique dendrochronological archive for

Andreas Rigling                            the development of multi-centennial to millennial long, temperature-
                                           sensitive tree-ring chronologies, in one of the world’s most remote
                                           regions where high-resolution paleoclimatic evidence is still
                                           missing. The picture was taken during the first international and
                                           interdisciplinary Anyui-Expedition in September 2019, a joint venture
                                           of the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), the Universities
                                           of Krasnoyarsk and Yakutsk (both Russia), and the Swiss Federal
                                           Research Institute WSL (Switzerland). Photo credit: Andreas Rigling,
                                           Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland.

                                           COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                           A clear, honest photographic document set in a dramatic landscape;
                                           the image condenses the passing of time over millennia, projecting
                                           us into a future impacted by climate change.

                                           THE AUTHOR
                                           Andreas Rigling (CH), born in 1964, is a forest and dendro-
                                           ecologist at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and
                                           Landscape Research, and adjunct professor at ETH Zürich. Among
                                           others, he uses tree rings to analyse current and reconstruct past
                                           environmental conditions. He is a dedicated and passionate hobby
                                           photographer with a focus on nature and specifically forest topics
                                           and he uses photography as an important communication tool for
                                           science, teaching and knowledge transfer.

Distinction of the jury
Category 3 – Places and Tools of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
13
     Sequential ­sequencing                     142 years after Eadweard Muybridge’s invention, the principle of
                                                chronophotography remains essential in understanding human
     Reto Togni                                 movement. The image not only builds on a rich cultural heritage of
                                                sequence photographs, nowadays best known in extreme sports, but
                                                also illustrates cutting-edge scientific processes that reveal internal
                                                working principles of the human body. Shown is a gait trial using a
                                                unique moving fluoroscope that tracks and follows the movements
                                                of a study participant while taking a series of x-ray images to analyse
                                                bone kinematics. By merging a series of six photographs taken
                                                during the trial, the image not only shows but also follows the maxim
                                                of novelty through continuous reinterpretation and repurposing of
                                                methods that are more than a century old.

                                                COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                                A playful mise en abyme of chronophotography, depicting by means
                                                of a digital collage the motion of an apparatus that is itself taking
                                                sequential X-ray images of the legs of a person walking. It brings
                                                into view the actual processes involved in a scientific experiment,
                                                rather than solely its results.

                                                THE AUTHOR
                                                Reto Togni is a PhD candidate at the Laboratory for Movement
                                                Biomechanics at ETH Zurich. He holds a BA in Industrial Design and
                                                a MA/MSc in Innovation Design Engineering. Mundane everyday
                                                things have the capacity to shape, change who people are, what
                                                they do, how they view the world and are viewed by others. As
                                                a developer of such everyday objects, he disentangles these
                                                relationships, analyses their components, prototypes interventions
                                                and designs new practices.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 3 – Places and Tools of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
Transparency in       A rotating Lego model, which was made transparent by x-ray
                      computed tomography. The coloured structures are traces of
                                                                                                14

­science              the emission activity of a radioactive substance. These were not
                      visualised with x-rays, but with SPECT, another medical imaging
 Peter von            technique. By combining the two different signals, the exact position

 ­Niederhäusern       of a contrast medium can be determined. This is important for
                      observing the effects of medical treatments. The film was created for
                      the calibration of a novel 3D reconstruction algorithm. Lego bricks
                      are well suited to this purpose because they are cost-effective and
                      their dimensions are well known. Innovative and low-cost solutions
                      like this can help to achieve scientific goals, too.

                      COMMENT OF THE JURY
                      A mesmerising loop which puzzles the viewers, challenging their
                      sense of orientation until they finally recognise the familiar shape of
                      a popular toy. A vivid illustration that state-of-the-art research can
                      proceed through a joyful bricolage of serendipity and simplicity, here
                      revealing a behind-the-scenes moment, when an apparatus is merely
                      calibrated before its actual use.

                      THE AUTHOR
                      Peter von Niederhäusern, born and raised in Schwarzenburg BE,
                      studied Biomedical Engineering (M.Sc.) at the universities of Bern
                      and Basel and finished his master’s thesis in the domain of eye
                      diseases. His current Ph.D. studies involve the development of novel
                      visualization methods for nuclear medicine specialists. Apart from
                      applied research, Peter is also interested in sports, the marvels of
                      the universe, and all things involving technology and research and
                      their implication for society.

First prize
Category 4 – Videos   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
15
     The digital               This video illustrates the computational creation of a prototypical
                               zebrafish embryo. What does the average embryo look like and
     prototypical embryo       how can we find out? We use modern optical microscopy to create
                               3D reconstructions of living zebrafish embryos. With the help of
     Marvin Albert             computational algorithms we then warp the embryos such that
                               differences in their pose and shape are eliminated. Finally, a 3D
                               representation of the prototypical zebrafish embryo results from
                               overlaying and averaging all of the obtained images.
                                     Details: the zebrafish embryos were 36 hours old when their
                               images were taken using multi-view light sheet fluorescence
                               microscopy. The image contrast represents the expression
                               pattern of a chemokine receptor protein, visualising among other
                               structures the eye, the gill arches, vasculature and neuronal bundles.
                               Computational processing of the images was performed on a high
                               performance computer cluster and took two days.

                               COMMENT OF THE JURY
                               A very aesthetic presentation of the scientific method, based on an
                               intuitive way of explaining visually a very complex scientific project:
                               creating virtual lifeforms based on real observations.

                               THE AUTHOR
                               Marvin Albert (born 1989, German) is a biophysicist at the University
                               of Zurich. He creates 3D computer models of animal development.
                               He obtained his PhD from the European Molecular Biology
                               Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, where he specialised on extracting
                               quantitative information from microscopy images to study cell
                               movement and tissue growth.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 4 – Videos       SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2020
17
     SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
     Concours FNS d’images scientifiques 2021
     SNF Wettbewerb für wissenschaftliche Bilder 2021
19
     Computed ­tomography           Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, post-mortem computed tomography
                                    (PMCT) examination of lung disease is becoming increasingly
     of suspected                   important as a relatively rapid means of making suspicious findings
                                    visually apparent. This study focuses on visual communication of
     ­COVID-19 pneumonia            findings and the development of new visual display modes using

      Eloisa Aldomar, Zurich        the volume rendering technique (VRT). The 3D reconstruction shows
                                    a PMCT of the lungs of a 30-year-old man with classic features of
      University of the Arts        COVID-19 pneumonia. Extensive tissue compaction (with higher
                                    density values in the CT data) is not shown. Under proper lighting,
                                    the spatial visualisation of the outer part of the lungs enables
                                    examination of morphologic abnormalities. The image has been
                                    enhanced using both warm and cold light sources.

                                    COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                    This stunning technical image offers an extremely insightful post-
                                    mortem view of the lung of a COVID-19 patient. Its particularity,
                                    however, lies in the fact that we are not dealing with a microscopic
                                    image here but with a very accurate data visualisation based on
                                    VRT. The image emphasises the great educational potential of an
                                    aesthetically sensitive translation of data, using colour very sparingly
                                    and efficiently.

                                    THE AUTHOR
                                    Eloisa Aldomar, born in 1977, is a designer based in Switzerland.
                                    She obtained her Bachelor (2017) and Master (2019) of Arts ZFH in
                                    design with a specialisation in scientific and knowledge visualisation
                                    from ZHdK, Zurich. She completed her bachelor and master theses
                                    in cooperation with the Institute of Forensic Medicine UZH, Zurich.

     First prize
     Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Reconstruction tomographique d’une                  Computer-­Tomographie einer ­Lungen-               20
suspicion de pneumonie COVID-19                     entzündung mit Verdacht auf C ­ ovid-19
Eloisa Aldomar, Université des Arts de Zurich       Eloisa ­Aldomar, Zürcher H
                                                                             ­ ochschule der
                                                    Künste, Zürich

Moyen relativement rapide de faire                  Mit der Covid-19-Pandemie hat die
apparaître visuellement des observations            postmortale Computertomographie
suspectes, la tomodensitométrie post-               (PMCT) eine neue Wichtigkeit erlangt,
mortem (TPM) des maladies pulmonaires               weil sie problematische Befunde bei
revêt une importance croissante dans le             Lungenkrankheiten schnell sichtbar
contexte de la pandémie de COVID-19. Cette          machen kann. Die Studie befasst sich
étude se concentre sur la communication             mit der visuellen Kommunikation von
visuelle des résultats et le développement          Befunden und der Entwicklung von neuen
de nouveaux modes d’affichage visuel                visuellen Möglichkeiten, basierend auf der
utilisant la technique de rendu volumique           Visual Rendering Technique (VRT). Diese
(VRT). Cette reconstruction 3D est issue            3D-Rekonstruktion zeigt die PMCT der
d’une TPM des poumons d’un homme de 30              Lunge eines 30-jährigen Mannes mit den
ans présentant des symptômes classiques             klassischen Auffälligkeiten einer Covid-
de la pneumonie COVID-19. La fibrose                19-Lungenentzündung. Eine grossflächige
étendue des tissus (révélée par des valeurs         Gewebeverdichtung (mit höheren
de densité plus élevées des données                 Dichtewerten in den CT-Daten) ist nicht
tomographiques) n’apparaît pas. Sous un             ersichtlich. Mit der richtigen Helligkeit ist es
éclairage approprié, la visualisation spatiale      möglich, durch die räumliche Visualisierung
de la partie externe des poumons permet             den äusseren Bereich der Lunge hinsichtlich
d’examiner les anomalies morphologiques.            morphologischer Veränderungen zu
L’image a été rehaussée en utilisant                untersuchen. Das Bild wurde mit warmen
différentes sources de lumière chaude et            und kalten Lichtquellen bearbeitet.
froide.
                                                    Kommentar der Jury │
Commentaire du jury │                               Dieses eindrückliche Bild ermöglicht einen
Cette étonnante image technique offre une           aufschlussreichen Blick auf die Lunge
vue post-mortem des poumons d’un patient            eines verstorbenen Covid-19-Patienten. Das
COVID-19 extrêmement révélatrice. Sa                Besondere ist, dass wir es nicht mit einem
particularité réside toutefois dans le fait qu’il   mikroskopischen Bild zu tun haben, sondern
ne s’agit pas d’une image micrographique,           mit einer Visualisierung basierend auf VRT.
mais d’une visualisation très précise de            Deutlich zeigt sich auch der pädagogische
données tomographiques. L’utilisation               Wert, den eine ästhetisch feinfühlige
économe et efficace des couleurs souligne           Umsetzung von Daten hat, hier zum Beispiel
le potentiel éducatif élevé d’une traduction        durch den zurückhaltenden und effektiven
esthétiquement sensible des données.                Einsatz von Farben.

Premier prix                                        Erster Preis
Catégorie 1 – L’objet d’étude                       Kategorie 1 – Forschungsobjekt
21
     Empty memory                   The image “Empty memory” was recorded by a sophisticated neutron
                                    imaging detector. The detector is used in advanced applications
     Markus Strobl,                 to observe the interior structures and crystallographic features of
                                    materials and specimens which define their mechanical performance.
     Paul Scherrer Institute        In the image shown here, the detector merely recorded the empty
                                    beam, without a sample. Thus, it is the performance of the detector
                                    itself that is the subject of the specific measurement usually taken
                                    as reference for sample data. But the image also reveals the traces
                                    of high-intensity beams probed in the past through what might be
                                    called a memory effect. As a result, what you see is an image of
                                    an empty beam formed primarily by the “memory” of previously
                                    recorded empty beams. Together with a distinct pattern of rows of
                                    dead pixels, without memory, the image constitutes an abstraction of
                                    emptiness and remembered shapes for the viewer to interpret.

                                    COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                    A poetic way of dealing with abstraction, as revealed by the title.
                                    This image, which at first glance resembles a modern painting, is
                                    intended to show that every phenomenon leaves traces, even on
                                    scientific instruments. The scientist seems to be touched both by the
                                    aesthetics of what he sees and by the fact that even the recording of
                                    a beam leaves a memory. The jury appreciates this beautiful image,
                                    together with the moving narrative about emptiness.

                                    THE AUTHOR
                                    Markus Strobl, born in 1972, is a scientist whose research focuses on
                                    neutron scattering and imaging for materials research. He obtained
                                    his PhD from the Technical University of Vienna and has designed
                                    and built several neutron instruments. He holds an affiliated
                                    professorship at the University of Copenhagen and leads the neutron
                                    imaging activities at the Paul Scherrer Institute. In the past, he also
                                    contributed works to and curated exhibitions of visual arts in Vienna,
                                    Berlin and Genoa.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Mémoire vide                                      Leere Erinnerungen                               22
Markus Strobl, Institut Paul Scherrer             Markus Strobl, Paul Scherrer Institut

L’image «Mémoire vide» a été capturée             Das Bild «Leere Erinnerung» wurde von
par un système d’imagerie neutronique.            einem hochmodernen «Neutron Imaging
De tels détecteurs sont utilisés dans le          Detector» aufgenommen. Das Instrument
cadre d’applications sophistiquées afin           wird normalerweise verwendet, um
d’observer les structures intérieures et les      innere Strukturen und kristallographische
caractéristiques cristallographiques de           Merkmale von Materialien und Präparaten zu
matériaux et de spécimens qui définissent         beobachten. Das gibt Aufschluss über ihre
leurs performances mécaniques. Cependant,         mechanischen Eigenschaften. In diesem Bild
sur l’image présentée ici, le détecteur a         zeichnete der Detektor nur den Strahl selbst
uniquement enregistré le faisceau vide            auf. So wird die Leistung des Detektors zum
sans échantillon. Par suite, ce sont les          Zweck der Messung, die sonst als Referenz
performances du détecteur lui-même qui            für Probedaten gemacht wird. Gleichzeitig
font l’objet des mesures spécifiques servant      werden auch die Spuren von hochintensiven
habituellement de référence aux données           Strahlen vergangener Messungen sichtbar.
d’échantillonnage. Mais l’image révèle            Es handelt sich um einen Memory-Effekt.
également les traces de faisceaux de haute        Deshalb sieht man hier das Bild eines leeren
densité observés dans le passé, traces            Strahls, der aus der Erinnerung von anderen
induites par ce qui pourrait être appelé          leeren Strahlen entstanden ist. Zusammen
un effet mémoire. Au final, on contemple          mit dem charakteristischen Muster der toten
l’image d’un faisceau vide principalement         Pixels ist das Bild eine Abstraktion der Leere
formé par la «mémoire» des faisceaux              und von Formen, die aus der Erinnerung
vides préalablement enregistrés. En raison        entstanden sind und auf verschiedene Weise
du dessin distinctif formé par les rangées        interpretiert werden können.
de pixels morts et sans mémoire, cette
image constitue une abstraction de vides          Kommentar der Jury
et de formes mémorisées qui est laissée à         Im Titel zeigt sich ein poetischer Umgang
l’interprétation de l’observateur.                mit Abstraktion. Das Bild, das auf den ersten
                                                  Blick einem modernen Gemälde ähnlich
Commentaire du jury                               sieht, zeigt, dass alle Phänomene Spuren
Comme le titre le révèle, il s’agit là d’une      hinterlassen, sogar auf wissenschaftlichen
manière poétique de traiter l’abstraction.        Geräten. Der Forscher erfasst die Ästhetik
Ressemblant à première vue à une peinture         des Bildes und staunt über die Tatsache,
moderne, cette image vise à mettre en             dass sogar ein Strahl eine Spur hinterlässt.
lumière que chaque phénomène laisse               Die Jury ist beeindruckt von der Schönheit
des traces, même sur les instruments              des Bildes und der treffenden Beschreibung
scientifiques. Le scientifique semble à la fois   der Leere.
touché par l’esthétisme de ce qu’il voit et
par le fait que même l’enregistrement d’un
faisceau de neutrons laisse des traces. Le
jury apprécie la beauté de cette image et sa
façon émouvante de mettre en scène le vide.

Mention du jury                                   Auszeichnung der Jury
Catégorie 1 – L’objet d’étude                     Kategorie 1 – Forschungsobjekt
23
     Dissection of a stink          These days, the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is
                                    a major invasive insect pest in European horticulture. By analysing
     bug’s gut                      the bug’s gut microbiota, we hope to find entomopathogenic bacteria
                                    which could be used as biological control agents. To this end,
     Samuel Cia, ETH                stink bugs had first to be caught and dissected. This image shows

     ­Zurich                        the dissected digestive tract of an adult H. halys, including fore-,
                                    mid- and hind guts as well as the insect’s red-coloured symbiont-
                                    inhabiting crypts. The gut dissection and image were made under
                                    a dissecting microscope. Neither the organs nor the image were
                                    artificially coloured.

                                    COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                    A beautiful and naturally coloured image of a very obscure field
                                    of research. While the jury liked the fragility and poetry the image
                                    conveys, this research into the gut microbiota of small bugs
                                    also points to an epistemological paradox: the careful study of
                                    entomopathogenic bacteria is being done primarily to find ways of
                                    controlling populations of the stink bug, which is considered a pest
                                    in horticulture.

                                    THE AUTHOR
                                    Samuel Cia was born in 1992 and studied agricultural sciences
                                    at ETH Zurich. He obtained his master’s through a joint research
                                    project of ETH Zurich and Agroscope in Wädenswil on the invasive
                                    pest H. halys and its gut microbiome. After gaining experience
                                    in research groups specialising in breeding, microbiology and
                                    horticulture, he is now working at Agroscope testing varieties of
                                    pome fruit.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Dissection des intestins d’une punaise           Sezierung des Darms einer Wanze                 24
Samuel Cia, ETH Zurich                           Samuel Cia, ETH Zürich

Communément appelée punaise diabolique           Die Marmorierte Baumwanze (Halyomorpha
ou punaise marbrée, l’Halyomorpha                halys), auch als Stinkkäfer bekannt, ist
halys constitue de nos jours une espèce          ein invasives Insekt, das im Obst- und
extrêmement invasive pour l’horticulture         Gartenbau in Europa grosse Schäden
européenne. En analysant son microbiote          anrichtet. In der Darmflora der Wanze hoffen
intestinal, l’équipe de recherche espère         wir Bakterien zu finden, die für die Wanze
identifier des bactéries entomopathogènes        schädlich sind und als biologisches Mittel
qui pourraient être utilisées comme agents       zu ihrer Bekämpfung eingesetzt werden
de lutte biologique. A cette fin, les punaises   können. Zu diesem Zweck mussten die Tiere
ont tout d’abord dû être capturées et            gefangen und seziert werden. Im Bild sieht
disséquées. Sur cette photo apparaissent         man den Verdauungstrakt einer adulten
les parties antérieures, intermédiaires          Wanze mit Vorder-, Mittel- und Hinterdarm
et postérieures des intestins disséqués          sowie die rotgefärbte Krypte, in der
d’une H. halys, ainsi que les cryptes de         endosymbiotische Mikroorganismen leben.
couleur rouge abritant le microbiote de          Die Sezierung und das Bild wurden unter
l’insecte. La dissection des organes et          einem Seziermikroskop gemacht. Weder
l’image correspondante ont été réalisées         die Organe noch das Bild wurden farblich
au microscope et sans aucune coloration          nachbearbeitet.
artificielle.
                                                 Kommentar der Jury
Commentaire du jury │                            Ein farblich nicht nachbearbeitetes Bild
Une magnifique image aux teintes naturelles      grosser Schönheit aus einem unbekannten
qui illustre un domaine de la recherche          Forschungsgebiet. Der Jury gefiel die
encore très obscur. Si le jury a aimé la         Zartheit und Poesie, die das Bild ausstrahlt.
fragilité et la poésie qu’elle dégage, les       Gleichzeitig weist die Forschung auf ein
recherches effectuées sur le microbiote          interessantes epistemologisches Paradox
intestinal de petits insectes mettent aussi      hin: Das Studium entomopathogener
en lumière un paradoxe épistémologique.          Bakterien im Darm der Wanze dient dazu,
Cette étude minutieuse des bactéries             neue Mittel zur Bekämpfung derselben
entomopathogènes est en effet                    Wanze zu finden, weil diese im Obst- und
principalement poursuivie afin de découvrir      Gartenbau als Schädling gilt.
des moyens de contrôler les populations de
punaises, qui sont considérées comme des
parasites au regard de l’horticulture.

Mention du jury                                  Auszeichnung der Jury
Catégorie 1 – L’objet d’étude                    Kategorie 1 – Forschungsobjekt
25
     Alpine root diversity          The leaves and flowers we observe in alpine grasslands are merely
                                    the tip of an iceberg, as roots and rhizomes account for around
     Patrick Möhl,                  80 per cent of grassland biomass. A look below ground reveals
                                    an astonishing diversity of root structures with different colours,
     ­University of Basel           thicknesses and branching patterns. Recent technical advances
                                    have allowed us to capture the full range of root structures in situ,
                                    from tiny root hairs to thick rhizomes. We can monitor root growth
                                    and tackle important questions about how alpine plants respond to
                                    climate change. The roots shown here were scanned directly through
                                    a transparent PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tube at a soil depth of 0–20
                                    centimetres in a typical alpine grassland at 2,500 metres above sea
                                    level. After recovering from a five-week summer drought, alpine
                                    plants produced more roots.

                                    COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                    This image focuses on the soil and on what we usually do not
                                    see: a nice, surprising view of the underground hidden network
                                    that connects plants. The image depicts the material evidence of
                                    structures still poorly studied that enable plants and multi-species
                                    communities to communicate via the soil.

                                    THE AUTHOR
                                    Patrick Möhl, born in 1990, studied biology as an undergraduate and
                                    is now a PhD candidate in ecology at the University of Basel. His
                                    work addresses how climate change affects alpine plants, with a
                                    focus on their small but very abundant roots. He has always enjoyed
                                    photography and is amazed that the scientific methods used to
                                    monitor root growth can also produce inspiring imagery.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Diversité racinaire alpine                        Wurzeldiversität in den Alpen                 26
Patrick Möhl, Université de Bâle                  Patrick Möhl, Universität Basel

Les feuilles et les fleurs des prairies alpines   Die Gräser und Blumen einer alpinen Wiese
ne constituent que le sommet de l’iceberg         sind nur die Spitze des Eisbergs, da etwa
dans la mesure où racines et rhizomes             80% der Biomasse einer Wiese aus Wurzeln
représentent près de 80% de leur biomasse.        und Rhizomen bestehen. Ein Blick unter
Si l’on plonge sous la surface du sol, une        die Oberfläche zeigt eine grosse Vielfalt
surprenante variété de structures racinaires      von Wurzeln: Sie weisen unterschiedliche
offrant différentes couleurs, épaisseurs          Farben, Dicken und Verzweigungsmuster
et ramifications s’offre alors au regard.         auf. Neuste technische Entwicklungen
De récentes avancées technologiques               machen es möglich, die ganze Bandbreite
permettent de saisir in situ ces structures       von Wurzelstrukturen vor Ort abzubilden,
dans toute leur complexité, des racines les       von feinsten Wurzelhaaren bis zu dicken
plus fines de l’épaisseur d’un cheveu aux         Rhizomen. So können wir das Wachstum
épais rhizomes. Dédiée à la surveillance de       von Wurzeln überwachen und bekommen
la croissance des racines, cette technique        Hinweise darauf, wie alpine Pflanzen auf
permet aussi d’aborder d’importantes              den Klimawandel reagieren. Die Wurzeln
questions quant à la manière dont les             in diesem Bild wurden direkt mit einer
plantes alpines s’adaptent au changement          transparenten PVC-Röhre in einer Bodentiefe
climatique. Les racines exposées ici ont été      von 0-20 cm gescannt. Es handelt sich um
scannées directement à travers un tube de         eine typische alpine Wiese auf 2500 Meter
PVC (polychlorure de vinyle) transparent à        über Meer. Nachdem sie sich von einer
une profondeur de 0-20 centimètres dans           fünfwöchigen Trockenperiode erholt hatten,
une prairie alpine typique à 2500 mètres          intensivierten die alpinen Pflanzen das
d’altitude. Après s’être remises d’une            Wurzelwachstum.
sécheresse estivale de cinq semaines, les
plantes alpines produisent plus de racines.       Kommentar der Jury
                                                  Das Bild zeigt uns, was normalerweise unter
Commentaire du jury                               der Erdoberfläche verborgen bleibt – ein
Cette image se focalise sur le sol et ce que      dichtes Wurzelgeflecht, das die Pflanzen im
l’on ne voit habituellement pas: une vue          Untergrund miteinander verbindet. Auf dem
esthétique et surprenante du mystérieux           Bild manifestieren sich kaum erforschte
réseau souterrain qui relie les plantes. Elle     Strukturen, die es möglich machen, dass
offre un reflet matériel de ces structures        Pflanzen und Pflanzengruppen im Boden
toujours trop peu étudiées qui permettent         miteinander kommunizieren.
aux plantes et aux communautés multi-
espèces de communiquer par l’intermédiaire
du sol.

Mention du jury                                   Auszeichnung der Jury
Catégorie 1 – L’objet d’étude                     Kategorie 1 – Forschungsobjekt
27
     The cube                       This image was acquired by a scanning electron microscope at 2,700
                                    times magnification. This cube comes from a microbial mat collected
     Clément Pollier,               in the Laguna de los Cisnes (Tierra del Fuego, Chile) as part of my
                                    master’s thesis in geology. The microbial mats are mainly composed
     ­University of Geneva          of cyanobacteria responsible for the precipitation of carbonates. The
                                    origin of this cube is not fully understood. It probably corresponds
                                    to a resistant form of metabolic dormancy (also called “gemmule”)
                                    produced by cyanobacteria when they are subjected to stressful
                                    environmental conditions (in this case, strong salinity). When
                                    conditions improve, a new cyanobacterium forms from this gemmule
                                    in a process similar to germination.

                                    COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                    A stunning view of an unexplained phenomenon: square microbial
                                    mats found, for example, in the formation process of strombolites.
                                    The picture has a very strong visual and conceptual impact. The
                                    black-and-white colouring makes it dramatic. The surprising
                                    geometry found in natural systems is fascinating and symbolises
                                    the doubt humans feel when other-than-human agents produce
                                    structures with right angles.

                                    THE AUTHOR
                                    Clément Pollier, born in 1998, is a master’s student in
                                    geomicrobiology at the University of Geneva, where he obtained his
                                    Bachelor in Earth and Environmental Sciences and was also awarded
                                    an Excellence Master Fellowship. He is doing his thesis on the
                                    microbialites of the Laguna de los Cisnes (southernmost Chile).

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 1 – Object of Study   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Le cube                                          Der Würfel                                     28
Clément Pollier, Université de Genève            Clément Pollier, Universität Genf

Cette image a été réalisée au moyen d’un         Das Bild wurde mit einem
microscope à balayage électronique à             Rasterelektronenmikroskop mit 2700-facher
un grossissement de 2700 fois. Ce cube           Vergrösserung aufgenommen. Der Würfel
provient d’un tapis microbien prélevé            stammt aus einem Biofilm, den ich in
dans la Laguna de los Cisnes (Terre de           der Laguna de los Cisnes (Feuerland,
Feu, Chili) dans le cadre de mon mémoire         Chile) für meine Masterarbeit in Geologie
de géologie. Les tapis microbiens sont           gesammelt habe. Diese mikrobiellen
principalement composés de cyanobactéries        Matten bestehen aus Cyanobakterien,
qui sont responsables de la précipitation        die für die Kalkausfällung verantwortlich
des carbonates. L’origine de ce cube n’est       sind. Der Ursprung des Würfels ist nicht
pas entièrement élucidée. Il correspond          ganz geklärt. Wahrscheinlich handelt
certainement à une forme résistante de           es sich um einen umweltresistenten
repos métabolique (également appelée             metabolischen Ruhezustand (Gemmula),
«gemmule») produite par les cyanobactéries       in den die Cyanobakterien eintreten, wenn
lorsqu’elles sont soumises à des conditions      sie Stressfaktoren ausgesetzt sind (in
environnementales stressantes (une forte         diesem Fall ein hoher Salzgehalt). Wenn sich
salinité dans le présent cas). Lorsque           die Umgebungsbedingungen verbessern,
les conditions s’améliorent, une nouvelle        entsteht in einem Prozess, der einer
cyanobactérie se forme à partir de cette         Keimung ähnelt, ein neues Cyanobakterium
gemmule lors d’un processus similaire à la       aus der Gemmula.
germination.
                                                 Kommentar der Jury
Commentaire du jury                              Ein fantastisches Bild eines unerklärten
Image étonnante d’un phénomène                   Phänomens: eine würfelförmige mikrobielle
inexpliqué, les tapis microbiens cubiques        Struktur aus einem Biofilm, der zum
apparaissent par exemple lors du processus       Beispiel beim Entstehungsprozess von
de formation des stromatolites. De par l’effet   Stromatolithen auftritt. Das Bild hat
dramatique du traitement noir et blanc, elle     eine starke visuelle und konzeptionelle
exerce un fort impact visuel et conceptuel.      Wirkung. Dass es in Schwarz und Weiss
La surprenante géométrie des systèmes            ist, verleiht ihm eine gewisse Dramatik.
naturels s’avère fascinante et symbolise         Die für natürliche Systeme überraschende
les doutes ressentis par l’Homme lorsque         Geometrie ist faszinierend und symbolisiert
des agents non humains produisent des            den Zweifel, den Menschen verspüren, wenn
structures à angles droits.                      nicht-menschliche Wesen Strukturen mit
                                                 rechten Winkeln produzieren.

Mention du jury                                  Auszeichnung der Jury
Catégorie 1 – L’objet d’étude                    Kategorie 1 – Forschungsobjekt
29
     Surveying alpine                        For Lukas and me, our research at Furka was always teamwork. This
                                             image is emblematic of that spirit. We each do our task alone, but
     ­solifluction at Furka                  we are connected through the telescope of a surveying instrument.
                                             Being connected allows us to work together as a team. Even if
      Armin Rist and                         there is only one person in focus here, as is so often the case in

      Lukas Munz,                            research, we can only be successful together. The picture shows a
                                             field operation on the Blauberg near the Furka Pass. We use a total
      University of Bern                     station and a reflector to measure the positions of points marked
                                             in the terrain in order to determine the rate of movement of the
                                             frost-induced, downhill soil substrate displacement – so-called
                                             solifluction. The unusually early onset of winter took us by surprise,
                                             but we were still able to carry out our survey to a large extent.

                                             Comment of the jury
                                             This image tells us a story about the teamwork, solidarity and trust
                                             needed during scientific explorations in extreme environments.
                                             The framing is strong, with the telescope used here as a device
                                             – normally not even intended to take pictures – that connects
                                             the remotely operating researchers in their collaborative tasks.
                                             Reversing the first impression of a cross-hairs sight where the other
                                             becomes a target, it represents the importance of mutual trust in
                                             science in a spectacular way.

                                             The author
                                             Lukas Munz studied geography at the University of Bern. He wrote
                                             his master’s thesis on the hydrothermal regime of the soil as a
                                             factor in alpine solifluction. He is currently doing his doctorate at the
                                             Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern’s Institute of
                                             Geography. His research focuses on flood risks, risk awareness and
                                             risk communication

     First prize
     Category 2 – Women and Men of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
Surveillance de la solifluction alpine au col   Alpine Solifluktion an der Furka               30
de la Furka                                     Armin Rist und Lukas Munz, Universität Bern
Armin Rist et Lukas Munz, Université de
Berne

Pour Lukas et moi, les recherches que           Für Lukas und mich war die Forschung
nous effectuons à Furka ont toujours            an der Furka eine Teamarbeit. Das Bild
constitué un travail d’équipe. Cette photo      versinnbildlicht dieses Gefühl. Wir machen
est emblématique de cet état d’esprit. Nous     unsere Arbeit beide alleine, sind aber
accomplissons nos tâches respectives            durch das Teleskop des Messinstruments
seuls, mais nous sommes connectés               verbunden. So können wir als Team arbeiten.
par l’intermédiaire de l’instrument de          Auch wenn im Bild nur eine Person im Fokus
surveillance que constitue le télescope. Le     steht, ist eine gute Zusammenarbeit – wie
fait d’être reliés nous permet de travailler    so oft in der Forschung – der Schlüssel
en équipe. Même si une seule personne           zum Erfolg. Das Bild entstand während
apparaît ici sous l’objectif, nous pouvons      einer Feldstudie auf dem Blauberg in der
uniquement réussir ensemble – comme             Nähe des Furkapasses. Wir verwenden ein
c’est souvent le cas dans la recherche. Cette   Tachymeter und einen Reflektor, um die
photo représente une opération de terrain       Position von markierten Punkten zu messen.
menée sur le Blauberg à proximité du col        Damit wollen wir die Solifluktion bestimmen,
de la Furka. Nous utilisons une station         also die im Oberboden durch Frost
intégrale et un réflecteur pour mesurer la      entstehenden Bewegungen. Der unerwartet
position de points repérés au sol afin de       frühe Wintereinbruch überraschte uns,
déterminer la vitesse du glissement du          aber wir konnten einen Grossteil unserer
substrat, ou solifluction, induit par le gel.   Messungen trotzdem durchführen.
L’arrivée inhabituellement précoce de l’hiver
nous avait pris par surprise, mais nous avons   Kommentar der Jury
néanmoins pu mener à bien une grande            Das Bild zeigt den Wert von Teamwork,
partie de notre étude.                          Solidarität und Vertrauen während
                                                wissenschaftlichen Experimenten in
Commentaire du jury                             extremen Wetterverhältnissen. Das Teleskop,
Cette image témoigne du travail d’équipe,       das normalerweise in der Fotographie nicht
de la solidarité et de la confiance qui sont    zum Einsatz kommt, setzt einen strengen
nécessaires aux explorations scientifiques      Rahmen, der die beiden Forscher in ihrer
effectuées dans les environnements              kollaborativen Arbeit verbindet. Durch die
extrêmes. Le cadrage est affirmé: le            Umkehrung des ersten Eindrucks – die
télescope – qui n’est normalement               Person befindet sich nicht im Fadenkreuz
aucunement destiné à prendre des                eines Visiers – wird auf spektakuläre Weise
photos – est utilisé ici comme un appareil      die Wichtigkeit von gegenseitigem Vertrauen
qui relie les chercheurs éloignés lors          in der Wissenschaft aufgezeigt.
de l’accomplissement de leurs tâches
communes. Inversant la première impression
d’un regard croisé où l’autre devient cible,
elle souligne de manière spectaculaire
l’importance que la confiance mutuelle revêt
pour les sciences.

Premier prix                                    Erster Preis
Catégorie 2 – Les femmes et les                 Kategorie 2 – Männer und Frauen
hommes de la science                            der Wissenschaft
31
     Science during a                        The picture shows Melissa standing in one of the many aisles of
                                             the Entomological Collection at ETH Zurich (EEC). She studies how
     ­pandemic                               diet shapes butterflies’ distribution, morphology and behaviour,
                                             especially butterflies that feed on poisonous plants. Here she holds
      Fabienne Meier, ETH                    a drawer of butterflies of the genus Luthrodes, some of which feed

      Zurich                                 on toxic plants that have been shown to cause neurodegenerative
                                             diseases when consumed by humans. Understanding how these
                                             tiny insects are able to feed on poisonous plants with impunity is
                                             one of Melissa’s primary research goals. The COVID-19 pandemic
                                             has made Melissa’s scientific fieldwork impossible, but she is able
                                             to use the historical holdings of the EEC to continue her research.
                                             She has used specimens from the collection to identify the historical
                                             distribution of species which are now considered rare, extracted
                                             their DNA to understand their evolutionary relationships and
                                             examined their wing patterns to investigate how diet influences
                                             defensive traits.

                                             COMMENT OF THE JURY
                                             A snapshot that shows research work altered by the COVID-19
                                             pandemic. Instead of fieldwork, activities shift towards studies of
                                             dead specimens in a closed environment. Still, science goes on.

                                             THE AUTHOR
                                             Fabienne Meier, born in 1995, is studying environmental science at
                                             ETH Zurich towards a master’s degree with a focus on forest and
                                             landscape management. Besides her studies she works at the EEC,
                                             assisting in archiving the Palearctic insect holdings. In her free time,
                                             she enjoys nature photography.

     Distinction of the jury
     Category 2 – Women and Men of Science   SNSF Scientific Image Competition 2021
La science durant une pandémie                      Wissenschaft während der Pandemie             32
Fabienne Meier, ETH Zurich                          Fabienne Meier, ETH Zürich

Cette photographie représente Melissa dans          Auf dem Bild steht meine Teamkollegin
l’une des nombreuses ailes de la Collection         Melissa in der entomologischen Sammlung
entomologique de l’ETH Zurich (EEC). Elle           der ETH Zürich. Sie untersucht, wie die
étudie comment le régime alimentaire                Ernährung von Schmetterlingen die
des papillons influe sur leur répartition,          Verbreitung, die Morphologie und das
leur morphologie et leur comportement,              Verhalten beeinflusst; insbesondere bei
en particulier lorsqu’ils se nourrissent de         Schmetterlingen, die sich von giftigen
plantes toxiques. Elle tient ici un tiroir rempli   Pflanzen ernähren. Hier trägt sie die
de Luthrodes, dont certains basent leur             Schublade mit Schmetterlingen der Gattung
alimentation sur des espèces végétales              Luthrodes. Einige dieser Schmetterlinge
qui, du fait de leur toxicité, provoquent des       ernähren sich von giftigen Pflanzen, die in
maladies neurodégénératives lorsque des             Menschen neurodegenerative Erkrankungen
êtres humains les consomment. Comprendre            auslösen. Sie will in ihrer Forschung
comment ces insectes fragiles peuvent               insbesondere herausfinden, wie es
se régaler en toute impunité de plantes             möglich ist, dass das Gift keine negativen
vénéneuses constitue l’un des principaux            Auswirkungen auf diese kleinen Insekten
objectifs de recherche de Melissa. Dans             hat. Die Covid-19-Pandemie verunmöglichte
l’impossibilité de se rendre sur le terrain du      die Arbeit im Feld, aber dank der grossen
fait de la pandémie, elle peut exploiter les        Insektensammlung an der ETH konnte
fonds historiques de l’ECC pour poursuivre          Melissa ihre Forschung fortsetzen. Sie
ses travaux scientifiques. Elle a ainsi             hat die historische Verbreitung der heute
utilisé des spécimens de cette collection           seltenen Arten bestimmt und ihre DNA
pour identifier la répartition historique           analysiert, um evolutionäre Beziehungen
de papillons désormais considérés                   zwischen verschiedenen Arten zu verstehen.
comme rares, extrait leur ADN pour mieux            Zudem hat sie die Flügelmuster studiert, um
appréhender leurs relations évolutionnaires         herauszufinden, wie sich die Ernährung auf
et examiné les dessins de leurs ailes pour          Verteidigungseigenschaften auswirkt.
étudier dans quelle mesure leur régime
alimentaire influe sur leurs caractéristiques       Kommentar der Jury
défensives.                                         Eine geglückte Momentaufnahme, die zeigt,
                                                    wie sich die Forschung durch Covid-19
Commentaire du jury                                 verändert hat. Die Arbeit im Feld wurde
Un instantané qui reflète la manière dont la        durch das Studium von präparierten
pandémie de COVID-19 affecte la recherche.          Exemplaren im geschlossenen Raum ersetzt.
Les activités se déplacent des travaux de           Und trotzdem: Die Forschung geht weiter.
terrain à l’étude de spécimens morts dans un
environnement clos. Mais la science poursuit
son chemin.

Mention du jury                                     Auszeichnung der Jury
Catégorie 2 – Les femmes et les                     Kategorie 2 – Männer und Frauen
hommes de la science                                der Wissenschaft
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