Microscopic Image of a Fat Cell Wins 2026 Endocrine Images Art Competition

We tend to think of science and art as opposites, and I’m always fascinated by projects that show how close they actually are. The 2026 Endocrine Images Art Competition is a great example that art and science are not as far apart as they appear on the surface. Founded by the Endocrine Society, the contest celebrates the beauty of endocrine science as seen through a microscope, with entries judged by Society members on both visual merit and significance to endocrine research.

The grand prize goes to research biologists Anna Pilatone and Gabriella Milan of the University of Padova and the University Hospital of Padova, Italy. They won the first prize for their immunofluorescence image titled Pre-adipocyte Intriguing Scaffold. The photo shows the cellular architecture of a murine pre-adipocyte, which is a precursor cell to fat cells. It was a part of a project investigating the role of the protein kinase CK2 in adipose tissue biology.

Green cytoskeletal actin filaments and red collagen fibers surround blue nuclei, revealing the structural complexity involved in the adipogenic differentiation process. “Dysregulation of these cells causes pathological adipose tissue expansion,” the Endocrine Society explains, “leading to obesity and metabolic complications such as diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.”

Second place goes to Antonio Fernandes de Oliveira Filho and João Batista Guedes of the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil. Their photo shows a rare fatty tumor known as a liposarcoma in the adrenal gland. As for the third, it goes to Luis Cedeño-Rosario of the University of Utah for an image of mitochondria in the kidney’s proximal tubular epithelial cells.

This year’s competition received 29 entries. All three winning images will be displayed at ENDO 2026, the Society’s annual meeting, June 13-16 in Chicago, and featured in Endocrine News magazine. The contest also recognizes honorable mentions, so take a look at these below and enjoy their fascinating beauty and significance. You can learn more and view the winning images and previous years’ entries on the Endocrine Images Art Competition website.

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