Photo Exhibition
The Richness of the Micro World
At first glance, it might seem as if we are looking into the diverse depths of the oceans or gazing at the glowing nebulae in space. Colorful, abstract images evoke feelings of mystery, beauty, and curiosity. In reality, however, they capture a world that is normally hidden from us — the micro world.
This exhibition offers a unique insight into the hidden secrets of science. Using cutting-edge technology, researchers present a captivating fusion of science and aesthetic beauty. Discover the richness of the micro world through scientific photographs on loan from the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University. Step into a world where even the tiniest elements play a vital role, and every detail hides a story worth uncovering.
Mice stressed testicular tissue
A microphotograph of stressed mice testicular tissue. Blue color represents cell nuclei, green highlights parts of the cells important for sperm formation, and red shows a protein linked to cellular stress. The image was taken in the Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine. The main aim was to find out whether the chemical Bisphenol S (BPS), used for example in plastics, triggers harmful oxidative stress in mouse reproductive tissue. Such research helps us better understand how environmental pollution can affect fertility.
Tereza Fenclová, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Visualization of Neural Activity
This is not a photograph, but a visualization of experimental data. Each dot represents an electrical discharge, known as a spike, generated by the activity of individual nerve cells. The dots are arranged according to several parameters – for example time, intensity, and signal shape – and projected onto a plane to reflect their distribution in 3D space. The colored clusters represent individual neurons. This allows scientists to distinguish the activity of specific nerve cells from complex recordings and observe how they communicate or respond to different stimuli. Such analyses help us better understand how the brain works.
Baindur Siddharth, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans yeast in a chronic wound model
Under the microscope we see a community of two insidious “tenants” – the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, resistant to some antibiotics, and the yeast Candida albicans (commonly present for example on the skin or in the intestines). Fluorescent staining highlights their arrangement – the greenish-yellow “balloon” is a cluster of bacteria, while the blue structures are filamentous forms of the yeast. Scientists let them grow together for 24 hours in a model imitating a chronic wound. In such wounds, similar microbial coexistence often occurs, forming a strong biofilm that makes healing and treatment of infections more difficult.
Pavlína Vávrová, Farmaceutická fakulta UK v Hradci Králové
Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans yeast in a chronic wound model
Although the image resembles a sunset, it is in fact a microscopic view. Here too we see a biofilm formed by two notorious “roommates” – the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus and the yeast Candida albicans. The dyes Syto 9 and propidium iodide make living cells glow green and dead or damaged cells glow red under a fluorescence microscope.
Pavlína Vávrová, Farmaceutická fakulta UK v Hradci Králové
Bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Does the world look the same through a microscope and a telescope? Although the image resembles a cosmic nebula, it actually shows a biofilm formed by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This commonly occurring bacterium can cause serious infections in weakened patients, for example in the lungs or wounds, and is resistant to many antibiotics. Here it was grown in a nutrient-rich medium called BHI (Brain Heart Infusion), which mimics conditions rich in nutrients. In the image, dead cells appear as red (orange) spots, living cells in green, and the biofilm matrix in blue.
Erik Zachar, Farmaceutická fakulta UK
Mouse zygote (an egg fertilized by a sperm)
The image shows a mouse zygote – the very first cell formed after the fusion of an egg and a sperm. It is viewed under a confocal fluorescence microscope, which allows a detailed look inside the cell. Green highlights the internal structures of the cytoplasm, while blue shows two pronuclei – one paternal, originating from the sperm, and one maternal, from the egg. The pronuclei subsequently fuse, and the zygote, now carrying genetic information from both parents, begins to divide and develop into a new organism.
Iveta Valentová, Přírodovědecká fakulta UK
Embryo at 5 days of age
The image shows a 5-day-old early embryo “hatching” from its protective coat called the zona pellucida (shown in gray). The embryo already consists of about a hundred cells – their nuclei glow blue, while the cell skeleton (the cytoskeletal protein β-actin) appears orange. Exiting the coat marks the beginning of a new stage of development, when the embryo implants into the lining of the uterus.
Jan Nevoral, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Mouse femur cross section
This image, taken with a polarization microscope, shows a cross-section of a mouse femur. Staining with a special dye (picrosirius red) makes collagen fibers visible under polarized light – the protein that provides bone with elasticity and tensile strength. Hardness and resistance to pressure are supplied by minerals, mainly calcium. In this photograph, however, calcium is “invisible,” as it cannot be stained by this method and therefore does not appear under the microscope.
Ina Havránková, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Porcine liver scaffold repopulated with new cells
The delicate scaffold of pig liver, after the removal of original cells, serves as a natural “support” for colonization by new cells. Fluorescent staining makes it possible to distinguish individual structures: pink highlights the original fibrous structure, the so-called interlobular septa – thin partitions that separate individual lobules in the liver. Yellow marks endothelial cells (actin filaments of their cytoskeleton) that are recolonizing this structure. Cell nuclei are stained blue. The method, called recellularization, helps researchers explore how damaged organs could one day be repaired or replaced.
Vladimíra Moulisová, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Porcine liver scaffold repopulated with new cells
The image shows a decellularized scaffold of pig liver being repopulated by human liver cells (HepG2). Red fluorescence highlights pig collagen IV, one of the main proteins of the liver’s extracellular matrix. Green marks actin filaments, cytoskeletal proteins forming part of the internal structure of the newly colonizing human cells, while blue indicates the cell nuclei.
Roshan Singh, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Porcine liver scaffold repopulated with new cells
Image of human fibroblasts growing on a scaffold of decellularized pig liver (the extracellular matrix that remains after all original pig cells have been removed). The cell cytoskeleton is stained cyan, and the cell nuclei are stained yellow.
Roshan Singh, Lékařská fakulta UK v Plzni
Pisolite – aragonite variety (pea stone)
Pisolite is a rare form of sinter – aragonite that precipitates from warm, highly mineralized waters. Under favorable conditions, aragonite crystallizes on the surface of tiny mineral grains suspended in the water. These grains are gradually coated with concentric layers of newly formed calcium carbonate. This layering continues until the “pea stone” becomes too heavy and settles to the bottom together with others, where they eventually cement into rock. A typical locality for these forms of aragonite is the spa town of Karlovy Vary.
Petr Jan Juračka, Přírodovědecká fakulta UK
Where The Exhibition Can Be Seen
Café Regner
Bezručova 152, 301 00 Plzeň 3
20. 9. until 31. 12. 2025