Art of Science: Radiant Architects

At first glance, the glowing strands in this image may appear familiar, like a web of cells stretching through what looks like a developing nervous system. But that initial assumption is exactly what Dr. Laura Fontenas said she hopes viewers will question when they see this award-winning image.

“They look like neurons, but they’re not,” said Fontenas, an assistant professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “These are radial glial cells - and they are the architects of the nervous system.”

Fontenas’ image, called Radiant Architects, reveals glial cells, the heavy lifters and unsung heroes that lay the foundation for neurons, generate new neurons, guide them into place and support them for life, she said.

By illuminating the unseen builders of the brain, Radiant Architects reframes how audiences think about neuroscience – and about discovery itself, she said.

“I want everyone to be able to see and enjoy the science,” she said. “Art gives us the freedom to think about inclusion as well as aesthetics. I hope people, both academics and non-academics, will pause, look closer and ask, ‘What am I actually seeing?’”