This text is part of the special Acfas awards
Since 2010, the Proof by Image competition has rewarded captivating photos resulting from research, in all fields of science. In addition to the image that made our headlines, and which won the Audience Award, we are publishing here the four images that caught the attention of the jury in 2021.
1. Light on the earth’s relief
Guillaume Légaré-Couture (National Institute for Scientific Research – Water, Earth and Environment Center). Jury Prize.
LiDAR technology is a remote sensing method of measuring distances in an ultra-precise manner by illuminating a target with a laser beam and capturing its reflection. When mounted on board an aircraft, this technology makes it possible to digitally reconstruct the earth’s relief and thus discover the elements hidden under the canopy. Applications range from the mapping of flood zones to the detection of archaeological remains. The image presented here reveals the meanders of the Ouelle river, near Saint-Pacôme, as well as various geomorphological elements such as rocky outcrops (dark masses) and sandy beaches formed by ancient seas.
Colorization of a multi-illumination shaded relief model derived from an airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey
2. Watch out, deadly plankton!
Fatma Dhifallah (Rimouski Institute of Marine Sciences (UQAR-ISMER) Jury Prize.
Among the plankton that drifts in our waters, we find toxic species belonging to the genus Alexandrium. The specimen shown here is “colored” with a scarlet hue reminiscent of the dangerous red tides it may be the cause (in green, a bacteria). In 2008, these microscopic killers invaded the St. Lawrence estuary over an area of 600 square kilometers. Their paralyzing toxin caused a massacre in fish, seabirds, seals and beluga whales, and forced the closure of shellfish beds. To prevent a toxic bloom from hitting the Canadian Arctic, where fishing is vital for people, we are monitoring harmful plankton.
Specimen size: 38 micrometers. Magnification: 2500 times. Scanning electron microscopy, colorized image.
3. Frozen tree
Bastien Lecigne (UQAM). Special jury prize, Humains-Nature.
Due to climate change, freezing rain episodes will probably be more frequent and more violent in our territory. It is therefore important to predict which trees, in an urban environment, are liable to be damaged under the weight of the ice. This can be done by using a laser scanner that generates 3D images of trees, revealing details of their structure. On this Montreal silver maple, seen from the front and from above, the potential for ice accumulation is represented by a color gradient varying from white (low) to blue (high).
Dimensions of this silver maple: 19 meters high and 20 meters wide, terrestrial LiDAR
4. Microbial sun
Léa Museau (University of Sherbrooke). Jury Prize.
This false sun is a biofilm, a bacterial community “united” by a matrix of sugars and proteins. The meeting of two species—Bacillus subtilis and staphylococcus aureus produces this very water resistant structure. Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for the yellow color … and various chronic infections in humans. The latter are sometimes difficult to treat, because S. aureus resistant to several antibiotics. How to counter this resistance? Researchers take the following bet: genetically modify B. subtilis to make her capable of neutralizing her sidekick.
Estimated width: 10 millimeters, stereomicroscopy