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)

Jodie Comer reacts as she wins Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for “Killing Eve” at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, U.S., September 22, 2019. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Kazakh law enforcement officers detain a woman during a protest rally by opposition supporters in Nur-Sultan on September 21, 2019. (Photo by Orken Zhoyamergen/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

A man dressed as Ironman takes a seat in the cafeteria on the second day of the London Super Comic Convention at the ExCel centre in east London, on March 15, 2015. (Photo by Justin Tallis/AFP Photo)

Attendees dressed as Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn arrive for opening day of the annual Comic-Con International in San Diego, California, United States July 21, 2016. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

#1: Superman. According to McAfee, 16.50% of Web searches for Superman led to sites with viruses and other malicious software. Pictured here: The Superman costume that was worn by Christopher Reeve in “Superman: The Movie” on display at Profiles In History in Calabasas, northwest of downtown Los Angeles, on July 19, 2012 in California. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP Photo)

A male puma, named Bordo arrives for an examination and tests at a veterinary in Brasilia, Brazil, 31 October 2017 (issued 01 November 2017). Bordo, a young male puma, captured when he was a cub, will become the first animal of his species to be released in a sanctuary in the Brazilian savannah in Goias State close to Brasilia. The sanctuary, a preserve for wild cats, is in the first phase and is located on private lands but state funded. (Photo by Joedson Alves/EPA/EFE)

Indians in traditional attire pose for the media as they practice the Garba, a traditional dance of Gujarat state, ahead of Navratri festival in Ahmedabad, India, Monday, October 9, 2023. The Hindu festival of Navratri, or nine nights, will begin on October 15. (Photo by Ajit Solanki/AP Photo)