Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

Models wait backstage before the Heaven Gaia Autumn/Winter 2021 collection show by Xiong Ying during China Fashion Week in Beijing, China on March 25, 2021. (Photo by Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

American singer Miley Cyrus, left, and American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish attend the Gucci “Love Parade” fashion show Tuesday, November 2, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo)

Chinese model Ming Xi falls down on runway during the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Mercedes-Benz Arena on November 20, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

A model walks down the runway during the Fashion Palette Miami Australian Swim Show during Miami Swim Week, Sunday, July 15, 2018, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Photo by Lynne Sladky/AP Photo)

Polish supermodel Anja Rubik attends the Saint Laurent show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021 on February 25, 2020 in Paris, France. (Photo by Swan Gallet/WWD/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A model (R) wearing a dress adorned with chocolate stands backstage prior to a fashion show during the annual “Salon du Chocolat” expo in Seoul, South Korea on January 10, 2020. (Photo by Ed Jones/AFP Photo)

A model showcases designs by Denny Wirawan during the East Java Fashion Harmony show at Segara Wedi Batok Mount Bromo on December 03, 2022 in Probolinggo, Java, Indonesia. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)