An image of breast cancer cells by South Australian post-doc Dr Sarah Boyle has won the inaugural BMC ‘Research in progress’ photography competition.

Dr Boyle, from the Centre for Cancer Biology at the University of South Australia, entered her photo of a fluorescently labeled mouse mammary tumour with the caption, I Heart Research.

“I Heart Research”: Sarah Boyle, Centre for Cancer Biology, Adelaide, South Australia.

She told the open access publisher BMC, the image was taken while studying the progression of breast cancer.

“I took it as part of my research into breast cancer and for me it really shows how processes that we researchers use almost on a daily basis – such as fluorescent labeling and microscopy – can reveal stunning shapes and colours in things like human cells.”