Art of Science: The Art of Transgenesis

Transgenesis is the artificial introduction of a modified gene into an organism. Addison Manofsky, a pre-med student in Florida Atlantic's Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, captured this image of three transgenic zebrafish embryos at 72 hours post fertilization.

The transgenic zebrafish imaged for this project express fluorescent markers that allow for cells with certain active genes to glow. The resulting colors are invaluable for studying various cell types, protein expression, and biological processes. They also provide an astonishing artistic masterpiece filled with color.

Manofsky imaged these zebrafish embryos with a confocal microscope. She used Fiji and Imaris software to process and edit the images into this colorful composition, which highlights the beauty and power of transgenic lines.