Research is Beautiful – the best of the rest - Cancer Research UK

Huge round of applause for all those who submitted entries last month – your images were fantastic – after a difficult time picking a winner, here are a few of our top picks from the rest of March’s entries.

This entry is part 16 of 18 in the series Research is Beautiful

Epithelial cells — Image from Aula Ammar of The University of Glasgow. Multiplex immunofluorescence staining showing the spatial distribution of immune and colonic epithelial cells across the progression of colorectal tissue from normal colon to precancerous polyp and cancer. Each colour represents a different cell type, allowing visualisation of how immune cells interact with epithelial cells during disease development. Compared with normal colon tissue, polyps and cancer samples show altered immune cell infiltration and changes in tissue organisation, highlighting the evolving tumour microenvironment during colorectal cancer progression.

This image of Luda Urbonas from the University of Cambridge displays a patient-derived glioblastoma organoid (GBO), a 3D ex vivo model generated from surgically resected tumour tissue. The GBO was established via mechanical fragmentation, a method designed to preserve the native tumor microenvironment (TME), including the original cytoarchitecture and crucial cell-cell interactions.

Hidden face of cancer cells — This image from Gulnar Abdullayeva of the University of Oxford shows cells from a colorectal cancer cell line. The blue staining corresponds to DAPI staining, which labels cell nuclei.

Paterson building, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute — Joanna Williams of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute sent in this lovely image. Winter sunrise reflecting on the Paterson Building, home of CRUK’s Manchester Institute. "A photo captured on my approach to work on 17th December 2025 – it inspired me that day and continues to do so, knowing my destination was inside working with colleagues to advance work within the field of oncology."

This image from Joshua Daoud of the CARC lab based at Queen Mary University of London shows how astrocytes (the most abundant cells in the brain) interact with brain tumour cells (glioblastoma). This research has informed further experiments to investigate what drives these interactions and how this could explain why brain tumours often recur and are so invasive.

the lived experiences of cancer — Lizzie Merril of the University of Surrey sent in this image. "I research the lived experiences of women who have had cancer. This work explores the art making method of photofantasy as a tool for expressing the experiences of cancer patient-hood, revealing altered experiences of time, embodiment, and autonomy. This collage explores how the body is medically supervised after treatment. It was created by a cancer survivor."

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