Zeiss Stereolumar v12
Venhar Celik
Ting Lu Laboratory
Funded by the University of Illinois
The bright, contrasting colors in this image highlight the battle lines drawn by single-celled microorganisms, engaged in chemical warfare at a scale invisible to the human eye. Related species continually fight each other for access to food and safe environments to grow and multiply. By labeling two competing types of bacteria with two different dyes, researchers were able to track the progress of their conflict.