Art of Science: ‘Survival’ Earns Honor

When Hussam Alshareef, Ph.D., noticed a maze of looping lines being carved across a small petri dish, he did not initially see art. He saw stress.

The unexpected pattern, which Alshareef titled "Survival," earned a top honor in Florida Atlantic’s annual Art of Science photography competition. It’s also a perfect example, he said, of how a routine research observation can translate into a striking visual image.

The award-winning image captures the movement of microscopic worms as they respond to simulated starvation. Barely visible to the naked eye, these transparent worms are widely used in biological research because they share many genetic pathways with humans and allow scientists to closely observe behavior and biological change in real time. Hussam uses them to study addiction, specifically the effects of amphetamines on health and behavior.

In his Art of Science piece, "Survival," the worms crawl across – and burrow through – a jelly like substance made from seaweed that serves as both a growth surface and food source in laboratory experiments. As nutrients become scarce, the worms trace winding paths through the gel, clustering and scattering as they search for sustenance. The result is a dense network of etched lines that resembles an abstract drawing.

“These worms are essentially asking for food,” Alshareef said. “It’s a biological request written in unexpected lines.”

While "Survival" was not created with art in mind, Alshareef recognized something striking in his observation. The patterns felt expressive, almost communicative, revealing how organisms respond when resources disappear. Some viewers see a maze, others a body, an animal, or a symbol entirely their own. That ambiguity is intentional, he said.

“I like that everyone sees something different,” Alshareef said. “It depends on who you are, what you’ve experienced. The science is there, but the meaning is personal.”

The title "Survival" also carries a layered significance for Alshareef. Beyond the biological experiment, he said the image reflects his own journey through science, from his early years as an international student to the realities of academic life as a postdoctoral fellow. He describes the postdoc phase as a form of survival while striving toward the next career step.

“In many ways, being a postdoc is survival mode,” he said. “… you’re always pushing forward.”

That parallel between organism and researcher gives "Survival" an emotional weight, Alshareef said. The image becomes not only a study of biological stress, but a quiet reflection on resilience and how life adapts, persists and finds form even under constraint.

For Hussam Alshareef, the piece also underscores an important philosophy he carries into his work: discovery often happens when researchers allow themselves to notice what they weren’t looking for. The patterns that became "Survival" emerged not from a planned experiment, but from paying attention.

“Sometimes, if we stop forcing a narrative and just observe, we find something meaningful,” he said.