Wellcome Image Awards 2017: Science Photography That Will Blow Your Mind

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This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Wellcome Image Awards, a celebration of the best science photography from around the world.

The latest selection of winners are among the most striking yet, presenting cells, eyes and blood vessels in an extraordinary new light. 

We’ve rounded up our nine favourites. The overall winner will be announced on 15 March. 

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Vessels of a healthy mini-pig eye.
Peter M Maloca OCTlab at the University of Basel and Moorfields Eye Hospital London Christian Schwaller Ruslan Hlushchuk University of Bern Sebastien Barre
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This image shows a 3D reconstruction of an African grey parrot post euthanasia, including its highly intricate system of blood vessels.
Scott Birch and Scott Echols
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This image shows how an iris clip also known as an artificial intraocular lens fitted onto the eye. Its used to treat conditions such as myopia and cataracts.
Mark Bartley Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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This image shows a baby Hawaiian bobtail squid. The black ink sac and light organ in the centre of the squid's mantle cavity can be clearly seen.
Mark R Smith Macroscopic Solutions
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This four-day-old zebrafish embryo has been genetically modified using DNA-editing.
Ingrid Lekk and Steve Wilson University College London
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Pigeon thermoregulation: a contrast agent developed during the project allows researchers to see the entire network of blood vessels in an animal.
Scott Echols Scarlet Imaging and the Grey Parrot Anatomy Project
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Brain-on-a-chip: Researchers investigate how neural stem cells grow on a synthetic gel called PEG.
Collin Edington and Iris Lee Koch Institute at MIT
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The Placenta Rainbow highlights differences in mouse placental development that can result from manipulation of the mother's immune system These placentas are from mice with genetically different immune systems.
The Placenta Rainbow
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Developing spinal cord: This series of three images shows the open end of a mouse's neural tube. The left neural tube develops into the brain, spine and nerves.
Gabriel Galea University College London