"Basket Star, Gorgonocephalus" by Gregory Rouse

Gorgonocephalus chilensis, a basket star echinoderm from Antarctica.

This is Gorgonocephalus chilensis, a basket star collected from the eastern Scotia Arc in Antarctica. Its five many-branched arms are used to feed on plankton and usually lies coiled up when not feeding. This specimen is part of the extensive Antarctic collection held in the Benthic Invertebrate Collection at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It was collected as part of a baseline survey of biodiversity in the region, where ocean warming is rapidly impacting the ecosystem.

Gregory Rouse is a faculty member at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, Marine Biology Research Division.

"Negative Spaces" by Sakina Lemieux

A heterogeneous structure called the extracellular matrix surrounds cells throughout the brain.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) in the mammalian brain plays an essential role in normal brain function, though its structure and composition remain poorly understood. This image is a creative, hand-painted representation of the negatively charged ECM that surrounds neurons. It is inspired by research that visualizes individual ECM molecules in the mouse brain and was created using gouache on watercolor paper.

Sakina Lemieux is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Neurosciences.

"Ed, Edd, and Eddy" by Mitchell Chandler

This eddy field, 20,000 feet under the sea, reveals the complexity of an ocean current.

Thousands of meters below the sea surface, strong ocean currents transport vast amounts of extremely cold, dense water away from Antarctica. Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography recently studied one of these currents in the southwest Pacific Ocean. As the current flows north, it becomes highly variable and breaks down into the eddy field shown here.

Mitchell Chandler is a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

"Whispers of Light: Bloodbelly Jelly" by Zelda Waite

A ghost wave travels along its body — light unravels into a flowing river across the deep sea.

In darkness untouched by sunlight, the bloodbelly comb jelly becomes its own spectacle. Along its comb rows, refracted light unspools into a rippling river — a hidden display of color shaped by physics. Studying these creatures reminds us that even the most isolated worlds are connected by the universal language of light.

Zelda Waite is an undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry and an Individual Studies Major.

"Human Neurons in a New Dimension" by Lucia Zhou Yang

Where science meets structure, neurons bloom — building circuits in synthetic space.

Human neurons (green, labeled with βIII-tubulin to visualize their structure) are cultured on synthetic microcarriers (red), forming a three-dimensional network. Neuronal cell nuclei appear pink, and total cell nuclei are shown in blue. This image was captured using spinning disk microscopy to model aging and Alzheimer’s disease in a complex environment.

Lucia Zhou Yang is a graduate student in the Department of Neuroscience, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, and Mertens Laboratory.

"Charting the Developing Human Heart" by Quan Zhu

A cellular map of the human developing heart reveals how it forms and functions.

Researchers at the Center for Epigenomics (C4E) use multiplexed error-robust fluorescence in situ hybridization, or MERFISH — a spatial transcriptomics technique — to study how different cell types form the human heart. This image shows a molecular map of gene expression, with each color representing a distinct cell type. Understanding these patterns helps scientists investigate congenital heart defects with the goal of improving treatments.

Quan Zhu is a faculty in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Epigenomics.

Contributors: Jackie Eschbach, Alex Monell, Colin Kern, and Bogdan Bintu

"The Creation of a Cell" by Joyce Tran

Inspired by Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam, one colorful cell reaches toward another.

This image shows two groups of cells with distinct genetics. In the upper right, a genetically modified cell symbolizes science and knowledge; in the lower left, a cluster of unaltered cells represents humanity. The modified cell reaches toward the others, evoking science’s ongoing effort to connect with and illuminate the human experience. Though a gap remains, this interaction inspires a personal, ongoing pursuit of understanding and discovery.

Joyce Tran is a graduate student in the Department of Neurosciences, Ackerman Lab.

"Pathways of Possibility" by Julien Cicero

The expanding patient-derived neuronal network reflects biology’s complexity and promise.

In neurodegenerative disease research, patient skin cells are reprogrammed into stem cells and used to grow neurons for study. This image shows motor neurons extending delicate, branching axons from a central ganglion. The intricate, radiant network underscores the complexity of human biology and symbolizes the hope that science offers in restoring movement and health.

Julien Cicero is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Manor Lab.