Our Science2Art program fosters a deeper connection between scientists and the broader community. This platform is for regional scientists to display complex scientific concepts as visually compelling narratives. Each of these pieces tells a personal research story from the scientists and their teams. These images were submitted by scientists from Columbia, Missouri, to Manhattan, Kansas.
Since 2014, BioNexus KC and the Science2Art program has donated over $160,000 to regional STEAM programs operating at the nexus of science and art. 

Explore our Science2Art videos!

Current Bid: $500
“Seeing” Blood Vessels

Fazle Elahi, DVM, PhD, University of Missouri

18 inches | Black Frame

This image illustrates the small blood vessels in the retina, the part of the eye responsible for detecting light. This intricate network of vessels delivers essential oxygen and nutrients to maintain healthy vision. Endothelial cells (shown in red) form capillaries and regulate the exchange of substances between the bloodstream and surrounding tissues. Smooth muscle cells (shown in green) encase the endothelial cells of retinal arteries, controlling their diameter and directing blood flow to specific areas of the eye. Damage to these vessels from aging, diabetes, or strokes can disrupt blood flow, leading to blurred vision, altered color perception, and, in severe cases, blindness. This research aims to improve blood vessel structure and function to preserve vision.

Current Bid: $500
A Beneficial Exchange

Charles Norton, University of Missouri

18 inches| White Frame

This image showcases research focused on mitigating lung damage and improving blood flow control in lung diseases. In disease conditions like pulmonary fibrosis, connective tissue deposits in the alveolar spaces, preventing effective gas exchange.

Gas exchange in the lung is important to oxygenate blood and eliminate carbon dioxide. This image shows a large airway (left) that allows gases to move in and out of the lung. A large artery (right) supplies blood to the lung, enabling gas exchange in the alveoli (small round areas throughout the image). Each alveolus is surrounded by thin-walled capillaries that facilitate the movement of gases into and out of the bloodstream. The large vessels are separated from the alveoli by connective tissue (light blue).

Current Bid: $400
Alien Topography

Christopher Neal, Ronawk

18 inches | Black Frame

This image reveals cells growing into a microchannel on the surface of a Ronawk Bio-Block, a cell culture platform designed to mimic tissue, allowing cells to form elaborate 3D structures. Confocal microscopy, which captures photos at different depths, was used to create this 3D reconstruction. Colors indicate depth, with off-white representing the deepest structures and purple the shallowest on the Bio-Block’s surface. By altering perspective and color, familiar elements can appear alien, sparking new observations.

Current Bid: $615
Caffeinated Heart

Arooj Shahid, University of Missouri

18 inches | Black Frame

This image captures heart muscle recovery following exposure to a high dose of caffeine. The multi-colored loops represent data from an experiment tracking calcium-contraction relationships in heart muscle cells. Caffeine extracts calcium from these cells, and as the heart recovers, the loops gradually enlarge, indicating the restoration of calcium levels and stronger contractions. This artwork symbolizes the heart’s remarkable ability to adapt and overcome challenges.

Artist’s note: This heart muscle cell was exposed to an extremely high dose of caffeine. Please continue to enjoy heart-healthy levels of caffeine in your coffee and tea.

Current Bid: $300
Fish Chromosome

Michay Diez, Stowers Institute for Medical Research

16×20 | Original painting on canvas

The cures for human diseases are often found within the DNA of research models, including fish. This image celebrates the chromosomes and genetic makeup of these model organisms, symbolizing the profound impact of fundamental scientific research in reshaping our world. Specifically, this research focuses on studying the molecular basis of a group of human diseases known as ribosomopathies.

Current Bid: $500
Flat Maccle Diamond

Mark James Jackson, Kansas State University

20 inches | White Frame

This image features a single flat maccle diamond, which is utilized to reinforce the corners of diamond tools in advanced manufacturing. These tools are used for dressing grinding wheels used in the aerospace industry to grind jet engine blades.

Current Bid: $550
Journey Through The Depths

Garrett Kyser, Ronawk

20 inches | Black Frame

Bio-Blocks are an innovative culture system designed to cultivate cells in a tissue-like environment. In this captivating image, cells grown in Bio-Blocks exhibit fascinating behaviors. A tendril of cells extends into a microchannel on the Bio-Block’s surface, resembling an exploratory appendage reaching into the depths of the ocean floor. Unlike many microscope images where colors correlate with specific stains, the colors in this image represent depth: red indicates areas near the Bio-Block’s surface, while purple signifies regions deep within a microchannel.

 

Current Bid: $500
Mind's Mosaic: Brain Segmentation

Tamineh Azizi, University of Missouri St. Louis

20 inches | Black Frame

This image showcases the intricate nature of the brain and the process of segmenting it into distinct regions or components. The title suggests both the complexity and the methodical approach involved in studying the brain’s structure, likening it to a mosaic composed of various pieces. This highlights the scientific effort to understand the brain’s organization.

Current Bid: $575
Motor Neuron Brigade

Nagib Manzur, Kansas City University

16 inches | Black Frame

This artwork reflects the intrinsic vitality of individual motor neurons and their boundless potential to rejuvenate patients with brain and spinal cord injuries. The lines in this piece capture the unique beauty of the firing potentials of these neurons, showcasing their recruitment, sustained activity, and eventual cessation.

 

Current Bid: $650
Neuro Nebula

Rebecca McLennan, Children's Mercy Research Institute

16 inches | Black Frame

This image displays a virus infecting neuron cells in a human brain model grown in a culture dish. The research focuses on understanding how the immune system responds to viral infections within the brain, which could lead to new treatments and preventative measures.

Current Bid: $300
Open Your Mind

Mark Mullen, Saint Luke's Health System

16 inches | Black Frame | Original Painting

The prism can be thought of as diversity coming out of the non binary face.

Current Bid: $400
Reindeer Agar Art

Tamara Cessna, North Kansas City Hospital

16 inches | Black Frame

This “agar art” reindeer is made from bacteria arranged on a blood agar plate. When viewed under a black light, the bacteria glow. The artist’s work is focused on science education combined with creativity.

Current Bid: $450
The Existentialist

Giancarlo Ponce, Independent Artist

14 inches | White Frame

This original painting portrays the scientific study of life in the universe. The artist drew inspiration from the dawn’s stars and the horizon of the sea.

 

Current Bid: $550
The Guardians of Respiration

Brady Blede, Ronawk

18 inches | White Frame

This image showcases the stomata of an unidentified plant, crucial for gas exchange in the photosynthetic cycle. The guard cells, shown in green, surround the stomatal pore, highlighted in magenta. The surrounding leaf cells are depicted in cyan. The leaf sample was captured using light microscopy to study cell and tissue culture.

Current Bid: $500
Waves of Sensation

Rene Martin, PhD, University of Nebraska

18 inches | Black Frame

This image, captured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shows a dissected, dried, and metal-coated olfactory organ from a deep-sea lanternfish. The image reveals lamellae—club-shaped epithelial structures that form part of the nasal organ. These lamellae are connected at their base, known as the raphe, by attachment points (not visible in the image). The thousands of fiber bundles seen in each sensory region of the lamellae are ciliated olfactory neurons, which are responsible for detecting chemical signals.