The image, by Dr Antonio Miranda of DPAG shows a whole embryonic mouse heart at 13 days after fertilisation. The filaments of the heart muscle are shown in orange and the cells that line the interior of the heart and the blood vessels are in cyan. Antonio is studying the development of embryonic mouse hearts in order to understand how congenital heart defects occur. The image was taken using a light sheet microscope, which allows Antonio to take 3D images of the heart from different angles.
Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at the BHF and one of this year's judges, said: 'Science relies increasingly on ever more sophisticated imaging techniques to help us to see the cellular and molecular processes that conspire to create disease.
'Each of these images contains a wealth of information that scientists can use in their fight against cardiovascular disease. So whilst this competition is all about stunning imagery, it’s actually the story that the image tells that matters.'
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Find out more about Reflections of Research and explore the images at bhf.org.uk/reflections