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)

Protesters wearing masks perform during anti-austerity and anti-graft protests in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on January 11, 2013. More than 5,000 Slovenians gathered in the center of Ljubljana on Friday to protest against a corruption scandal that threatens to bring down the government. Slovenia's anti-corruption commission said earlier this week that Prime Minister Janez Jansa had been unable to explain the source of some of his income in recent years. (Photo by Srdjan Zivulovic/Reuters via The Atlantic)

Martin De Pasquale with his creative photographs. Here's a look at the incredible world of a digital artist who creates mind-bending works of art with Photoshop. (Photo by Martin De Pasquale/Caters News)

Shocking footage of a low-altitude flight through Brisbane's skyscrapers in United Kingdom on Thursday, September 23, 2021. The Royal Australian Air Force C-17 cargo jet was spotted on a practice run ahead of the annual Sunsuper Riverfire event, which took place on Saturday night. (Photo by The Mega Agency)

“Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev (Russian: Вячеслав Михайлович Зайцев), more commonly known as Slava Zaitsev (Russian: Слава Зайцев), born 2 March 1938 in Ivanovo, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, is a Russian fashion designer, painter, graphic artist and theatrical costume designer”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A models wears a creation by designer Slava Zaitsev during his fashion show on Day 1 of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia Fall/Winter 2011/2012 at the Congress Hall on March 31, 2011 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

(L-R) Natalie Burns and Taunia Arave battle as referee Nick Stevens (R) looks on during the US National Sumo Championships at the Riviera Hotel & Casino June 24, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Actress Charlize Theron attends the launch of DIOR VIII hosted by Charlize Theron at Dior Boutique on June 8, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

A surfer heads out at Coldingham Bay an inlet in the North Sea on February 15, 2012 in Coldingham, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)