Invasion
Timberley Roane (UCD)

Polarization microscope
Taken with a microscope and polarized light, this photograph shows diamond shaped bacteria glowing amongst hundreds of dark non-glowing counterparts. The “invading” bacteria glow in response to polarized light passing through a crystalline slime layer outside the cells. Like an impermeable hull to a space ship, the slime layer protects these cells from environmental assaults such as metal toxicity. Upon exposure to metals, such as lead and cadmium, the glowing bacteria survive as the metal toxicity kills their unprotected comrades. Magnification is 1,000X.

Traveling