A fluorescent mosquito glowing pink and purple under ultraviolet (UV) light while an entomologist studies it through a microscope.
This fantastic image was taken by Shayanta Chowdhury, a Chemistry PhD student at Notre Dame University, Idaho, and recently won a Scientists at Work photo award from Nature, a major science journal publisher.
While Shayanta’s image is certainly well-crafted, it’s much more than a beautiful composition, capturing both the scientist and the science in the same frame, revealing a world of research few get to see.
“I wanted a photo where the scientist imaging the subject is also in the frame, along with the instrument being used," said Shayanta.
In the shot we see Lee Haines, an entomologist at the same university, analyzing a yellow fever mosquito through a microscope.
Haines is studying how the drug nitisinone can be used to kill blood-feeding insects, and the mosquito has ingested a sugary substance infused with fluorescent dyes, lighting up the dark laboratory.
“The UV illumination created striking colors from both the tiny mosquito and the condensation that formed beneath the cold petri dish: a pink-purple mosquito in a sea of blue, with water droplets reflecting the light in every direction," Shayanta explained.
To capture the image, Shayanta used a Sony A6700 with a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens. His settings were ISO 2000, f/2.8, 1/250sec using the widest 18mm focal length.
“I focused on the mosquito on the screen, but also made sure Lee was in the same plane to have her on focus as well, given the shallow depth of field,” he said.
While Shayanta is a chemist, his work also involves using microscopes and lasers to analyze nanoparticles, giving him a unique appreciation for the beauty hidden within all scientific research.
Shayanta said: “Biological samples are usually also very beautiful under a microscope, because it reveals a world you can't see with your bare eyes."
Beyond the personal gratification, Shayanta hopes that winning the Scientists at Work award and the subsequent coverage will help people engage with science.
"I truly believe that art has the power to bridge the gap between scientists and other communities," he said. “If my image can spark someone's interest in what on Earth is going on, and can inspire them to ask more questions and be curious about science, that would be a big achievement."
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Marine ecologist and diver Robert Harcourt also won a Scientists at Work photo award in 2026. His underwater shot shows a fellow researcher collecting a bacteria sample from a whale shark.
