Submit your work for the Best Image Award 2026

Best Scientific Image Award 2026: Show the World Your Mitochondrial Discovery

Can a single image change the way we see mitochondrial biology?

The World Mitochondria Society (WMS) is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for the Best Scientific Image Award 2026, an international competition celebrating the most outstanding scientific images in mitochondrial research.

From stunning microscopy to innovative scientific illustrations and AI-assisted visualizations, this award recognizes images that combine scientific excellence with visual impact. Every image tells a story, reveals a discovery, and helps communicate the remarkable complexity of mitochondria.

The winner will be announced during the Awards Ceremony of the 17th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria, to be held in Berlin, Germany, October 21–23, 2026.

Who can participate?

The competition is open to researchers, clinicians, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, engineers, and imaging specialists from academia and industry worldwide.

What can you submit?

We welcome original scientific images related to mitochondrial biology, including:

• Fluorescence and confocal microscopy
• Electron microscopy
• Live-cell imaging
• Super-resolution microscopy
• Clinical and translational imaging
• Scientific illustrations
• AI-assisted scientific visualizations

How to submit:

Each submission should include a high-resolution image, a title, a short scientific description (maximum 250 words), and the imaging technique used.

mitochondria[at]wms-site.com

Awards

The Best Scientific Image Award 2026 winner will receive:

• An official World Mitochondria Society Award Certificate
• Free registration to the 17th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria 2026
• Recognition during the Awards Ceremony in Berlin
• International visibility through the WMS website, newsletter, and social media
• Inclusion in the WMS Scientific Image Gallery

New for 2026: People's Choice Award

For the first time, congress participants will vote for their favorite image during the meeting. This special award will recognize the image that best inspires and communicates mitochondrial science to the international community.

Submit Your Image

Submission deadline: September 20, 2026

Whether your work explores mitochondrial dynamics, metabolism, signaling, aging, disease, or therapeutic innovation, we encourage you to share the image that best represents your science.

One image can inspire a discovery. One image can inspire a community. We look forward to seeing yours.

Among the submission for BEST MITOCHONDRIA IMAGE 2026

All Submissions received

Image 1: Cellular Constellations: Illuminating the Mitochondrial Redox Landscape of Gastric Cancer

By Sayak Ghosh, M.Sc., Amity University Kolkata, India

Download Full Size image (TIF)

Description : Cancer cells undergo profound metabolic remodeling to sustain their rapid growth and survival under stressful conditions. This confocal fluorescence image illustrates the spatial relationship between mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production and the cancer stem cell marker CD44 in gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Cell nuclei are stained with DAPI (blue), MitoSOX™ Red (red) specifically labels mitochondrial superoxide, a key indicator of mitochondrial oxidative stress, and CD44 immunofluorescence (green) identifies cells with stemness-associated characteristics.

The heterogeneous distribution of mitochondrial superoxide and CD44 expression highlights the metabolic diversity that exists within the tumor cell population. Elevated mtROS has emerged as an important regulator of cancer cell plasticity, stemness, therapeutic resistance, and metastatic potential by modulating mitochondrial function and redox-sensitive signaling pathways. Simultaneously, CD44- positive cells represent a subpopulation with enhanced tumor-initiating capacity and resistance to conventional therapies. Visualizing these molecular events at the single-cell level provides valuable insight into the interplay between mitochondrial dysfunction and cancer stem cell biology.

This image underscores the importance of mitochondrial metabolism as a central determinant of tumor progression and demonstrates how advanced fluorescence microscopy can reveal the intricate cellular architecture underlying cancer biology. Such visualization contributes to understanding the molecular mechanisms that may guide the development of mitochondria-targeted therapeutic strategies for gastric cancer.

Imaging Technique Used
Immunocytochemistry (ICC) combined with MitoSOX™ Red staining and DAPI nuclear
counterstaining, imaged using a Leica TCS SP8 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope.

Fluorescent markers:
Red: MitoSOX™ Red (mitochondrial superoxide)
Green: CD44 (cancer stem cell marker)
Blue: DAPI (cell nuclei).

BEST MITOCHONDRIA IMAGE AWARD 2025 - FINALIST LIST