CHALFONT ST. GILES, UK – 12 March 2014  –  GE Healthcare Life Sciences (NYSE:GE) today announced Vanessa Auld from Canada, Martin Barr from Ireland and Graham Wright from Singapore as the winners of the GE Healthcare 2013 Cell Imaging Competition.   With over 23,000 votes cast by the public, the winners can now look forward to seeing their prize-winning images lighting up Times Square, New York at a special event between 25-27 April 2014.

For seven years, GE Healthcare’s annual competition has showcased the beauty of cells and the inspiring research of cellular biologists from around the world.   This year’s competition attracted over 100 entries from scientists who are using either high-content analysis or high- and super resolution microscopy to investigate at the cellular level a wide variety of diseases such as cancer, muscle disease and the effects of parasitic infections.

An expert scientific panel of six judges* shortlisted the finalists for each category ahead of the public vote. The full details of the three winners are:

1st place - Microscopy category

Vanessa Auld, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Image description: Drosophila neuromuscular junction stained for extracellular matrix proteins (green and blue) and the nerve terminal (red). Therapeutic focus: Neurodegenerative disease.

1st place – High-Content Analysis category

Martin Barr, St James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. Image description: Lung adenocarcinoma cell stained for F-actin (green), mitochondria (red) and DNA (blue). Therapeutic focus: Cancer.

Regional winner (Microscopy category)

Graham Wright, Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR, Singapore Image description: Mouse spermatocyte spread stained for KASH-5 and SCP3 (red and green) and DNA (blue). Therapeutic focus: Fertility.

Eric Roman, General Manager of Research and Applied Markets, GE Healthcare Life Sciences, said: “This year’s three winning images are once again incredibly beautiful and compelling, reminding us of the cellular complexity behind disease and why the study of cells is so important.  We were delighted to receive so many outstanding entries to the competition, which highlights how cell imaging is helping scientists explore the universe of the cell and is advancing our understanding of so many life-threatening and life-limiting diseases. I’d like to thank all the contestants for sending us their images, the judging panel and everyone who cast a vote.”

The winning images and gallery of all the finalists’ entries to the 2013 Cell Imaging Competition are available at www.gelifesciences.com/cellimagecompetition

*This year’s shortlist was selected by Paul Goodwin, Science Director, Cellular Imaging and Analysis at GE Healthcare; Geoffrey Grandjean, Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute, California and 2011 competition winner for the Americas; Julian P. Heath, Editor of Microscopy & Analysis; Carmen Laethem, Scientist and Project Manager, Aerie Pharmaceuticals; Kristie Nybo, Assistant Editor, BioTechniques and Nick Thomas, Principal Scientist at GE Healthcare.

Follow @GECellBiology on Twitter for updates on the competition and cellular science.