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)

Switzerland's lead Nicole Schwaegli (L) and second Marisa Winkelhausen sweep during their curling round robin game against Japan at the World Women's Curling Championships in Sapporo March 14, 2015. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

Musician St Vincent attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Dancer Maithili Vijayakumar performs on the occasion of the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations, at St. Andrew Square in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tuesday, November 16, 2021. The multi-cultural celebration will take place for the first time in two years in the center of Edinburgh on Sunday, Nov. 21. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire via AP Photo)

American singer, actress, and television personality Kelly Rowland wears Gaurav Gupta Couture at the Kilian Paris “Sunkissed Goddess” party on May 22, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pierrick Rocher/BFA.com)

Actress Nina Dobrev kicks off the first-ever Aperolidays celebration with an Aperol Spritz in hand in the second decade of November 2025. (Photo by Aperol)

Jessica Chastain arrives at the 72nd annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, January 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Photo)

Director Pawel Pawlikowski holds his Oscar for best foreign language film for “Ida”, with presenters Chiwetel Ejiofor (L) and Nicole Kidman during the 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 22, 2015. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)