It's beginning to look a lot like Gutmas!

This annual competition challenges Foundation and MRC-funded researchers, staff, and students to produce a science image with direct relevance to medical research, combined with a festive theme. The competition’s judges, who work in science, medical research, communications, and public engagement, were looking for eye-catching, high-quality images, along with a clear explanation to demonstrate excellent science communication skills.

Three winners were selected, with the 1st place image chosen to feature on the Medical Research Foundation and MRC's joint Season's Greetings card for 2025. The cards can be ordered online, by making a suggested donation to the Foundation at checkout.

1^st place – 'It's beginning to look a lot like Gutmas'

by Vy Wien Lai, DPhil student at the University of Oxford.

Vy's image shows cross sections of intestinal tissue across human development – imagine slicing through a tube, a bit like a doughnut. The open space in the centre of each 'bauble' is called the lumen, where digested food passes through. The cells lining this space, called enterocytes, absorb nutrients from what we eat.

The gut’s inner surface folds into finger-like projections called villi and pockets called crypts, which increase the surface area for the absorption of nutrients. To create her colourful image, Vy used spatial transcriptomics which is a technique that allows researchers to see which genes are active in different parts of the tissue.

Foundation CEO, and competition judge, Dr Angela Hind said, “Our winning design is a strong science image, with striking colours that immediately pull the viewer in to look more closely at the intricate patterns within.

"The accompanying description not only explains the basics of the gut clearly, but takes the reader into modern science territory, with an explanation of the research technique used to create the images and what it allows scientists to do. A very worthy winner.”

2^nd place – 'Radiant Patterns'

by Nathalie Lövgren, DPhil Student, and Dr Iain Tullis, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, in the Physics and Biology of FLASH Radiation Research Group at the University of Oxford.

Nathalie and Iain's snowflake-inspired image was based on their work investigating a potential new radiation treatment for cancer.

Spatially fractionated radiation therapy delivers radiation in patterned doses rather than evenly across the whole tumour. By delivering radiation in precise patterns, higher doses can be used to more effectively destroy cancer cells while reducing harm to nearby healthy tissue.

In this shimmering image, the centre of each snowflake reveals a hexagonal cluster of seven radiant spots made from real radiation doses delivered by the team's 6 MeV (mega electron volt) electron linear accelerator. These patterns were then arranged to form the unique shapes of snowflakes, like the ones we hope to see falling each winter.

Highly commended – 'A gut feeling of Christmas'

by Alvaro Castano Medina, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University Of Cambridge.

Alvaro's image of a glowing tree is sculpted from clusters of nerve cells that form the enteric nervous system, our gut’s own brain. Each shining branch reveals nerve cell projections individually painted by harmless viruses with unique fluorescent colours, and captured through high-resolution imaging.

Beyond its festive spirit, this image reveals how our intricate gut circuits control digestion, which is vital for processing our enjoyable Christmas feasts. Sometimes these circuits don't form or function properly, which can lead to a range of intestinal disorders. This reminds us that even amid holiday sparkle, our inner networks are working hard to quietly sustain us.