Surrey scientist\u2019s cells-dividing image \u2018captures where science meets art\u2019<\/p>\n
Published 11:30 am Friday, June 5, 2026<\/p>\n
A vibrant microscope image captured by a Surrey-raised scientist is among 20 in the running for one of three $2,000 prizes up for grabs in a nationwide competition showcasing Canadian research.<\/p>\n
Arandeep (Aaron) Dhanda said his image \u2013 dubbed \u2018The Mitotic Meridian\u2019 \u2013 captures a colony of \u201creprogrammed\u201d human cells in the act of dividing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reveals the intricate machinery inside the cells \u2013 chromosomes or DNA in blue, and the mechanical protein fibers that manoeuver them in orange \u2013 which allows these cells to transform into any part of the human body,\u201d he explained by email.<\/p>\n
Dhanda, a Ph.D. graduate of Simon Fraser University\u2019s biological sciences department, works for STEMCELL <\/a>Technologies<\/a>, a Canadian biotech headquartered in Vancouver.<\/p>\n He entered \u2018The Mitotic Meridian\u2019 in the \u2018Science Exposed\u2019 competition<\/a> hosted by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which celebrates Canadian research through photography.<\/p>\n NSERC is Canada\u2019s primary federal agency for funding scientific research, Dhanda noted.<\/p>\n