Unseen images: Sadhbh Dodd

Highly commended is Trinity College Dublin's Sadhbh Dodd with her piece titled 'Multispecies biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in cystic fibrosis sputum media. '.

"Pictured is a multispecies bacterial biofilm grown in synthetic cystic fibrosis (CF) sputum medium. The species present are Pseudomonas aeruginosa epidemic strain LESB58 (pink), and Staphylococcus aureus (purple). Both bacteria are highly relevant pathogens in CF, and understanding their interaction dynamics in vitro is essential for identifying new treatment options for people with CF.

"The biofilm was grown in synthetic CF sputum medium, which is highly complex. This media replicates the microbial growth conditions and dynamics that are seen in a person with CF, and contains many of the components needed for biofilm and extracellular matrix production, including free DNA, mucin and amino acids. Here, the bacteria are dispersed throughout the biofilm amongst the extracellular matrix, shown in green. This image was taken using Cryogenic Scanning Electron Microscopy (Cryo-SEM) at the Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool." - Sadhbh Dodd