Science as Art 2008
(Complete Science as Art 2008 Gallery)
Science as Art award winners will be on display in the lobby of the Robert M. Cooper Library through the month of April.
Recognizing that visual representations of scientific and technological phenomena provide a valuable connection between scientists, artists and the general public. "Science as Art" 2008 was a challenge to Clemson University researchers and South Carolina high school students to share visual images based on scientific research. Entries could be submitted in any of the following categories: Photographs/Pictures, Illustrations/Drawings, Informational/Explanatory Graphics (computer-assisted illustrations or graphics), and Interactive and Non-Interactive Media could be produced by individuals or teams. Multi-disciplinary collaboration was encouraged.
3rd Place (tie): 8 Fold Sting 
Submitted by: Ian Stocks (Ph.D. student Entomology)
(Click on thumbnail at right to view a larger picture)
Description:
This composite image is comprised of one image reflected and rotated to create eight. The unit image is the terminal component of the sting apparatus of Pogonomyrmex badius, the Harvester Ant.
Only female wasps, bees, and ants can sting. The sting apparatus is a highly modified ovipositor, the structure that in “non-stinging” wasps is used to lay eggs. In bees, wasps, and ants, the egg passes through a different opening. The sting is structurally and functionally very complex and composed of several highly modified parts. The stinger is also a bilaterally symmetrical organ; when in use, the paired harpoon-like shafts (lancets) separate from the dorsal cover (stylet) and are stabbed into prey or potential predator. Vibration of the abdomen causes the lancets to “saw,” in a reciprocating pattern, more deeply. At the base of the sting in the abdomen, glandular tissue secretes a cocktail of chemicals that are stored for later use in hunting prey or defense. A channel between the paired lancets and the stylet allows venom to enter the wound. In this species, venom injection works by a “valve-pump” mechanism, in which air is pumped out of a specialized bulb, which causes venom from the poison sac to be drawn into the bulb. Further protraction of the sting forces venom into the sting channel. Harvester ants have a very potent sting; experiments have shown that the venom of this species is one of the most toxic of all known insect venoms. The image was created using a JEOL 5300 scanning electron microscope -- 750X magnification.
7th (People's Choice): The Blue Frost 
Submitted by: Kirthi Kiran Yadagiri (Ph.D. student Plant & Environmental Science) & Karthikeyan Pasupathy
(Click on thumbnail at right to view a larger picture)
Description:
Vegetative cells of Labyrinthula terrestris (causative agent of rapid blight disease in turfgrass) spreading out from an infected turfgrass blade.
Labyrinthula terrestris is a newly identified organism which causes a disease known as “Rapid Blight” in cool-season turfgrasses. Rapid blight has been reported as a major problem on turf recently. The vegetative cells of this organism move in groups by forming a net-like extracellular slimy matrix, which is secreted by a special organelle called bothrosome. As related members of this organism form web- or labyrinth-like patterns in their movement, their genus is named as Labyrinthula. All the species in this genus are found in marine ecosystems except L. terrestris (Labyrinthula terrestris), which is a terrestrial inhabitant. The evolutionary reason for this terrestrial inhabitance is still a mystery. This special kind of locomotion through net-slime enables this organism to spread rapidly from infected plants to healthy plants. The mechanism behind this strange locomotion is still under investigation. To study it, we embedded an infected turfgrass blade (rod-like structure in the photograph) on an agar plate. The network spreading out from the turfgrass is the vegetative L. terrestris. The blob-like structure is an agar plug. Since the sample was almost transparent, blue light was used to illuminate the sample for maximum contrast. The photograph was captured using a DSLR camera under macro mode and further processed using Adobe Photoshop.
