Microscope manufacturer FEI Company this week announced that Maria Carbajo from the Universidad de Extemadura, Spain, is the winner of the FEI Image Contest for her “Spider Skin” image.
In 2012, FEI invited owners and users of FEI microscopes to submit their best nanoscale images for a chance to win great monthly prizes. From over 230 high-quality submissions FEI selected 16 monthly image winners to compete for the grand prize of two airline tickets to a United States destination.
FEI.com vistors were asked to vote for their favorite image among the monthly winners. Nearly 1,000 votes were received and María Carbajo’s image narrowly beat out other worthy images.
María’s entry shows the texture of the skin of a spider, with a hair root and brochosomes from a leafhopper preyed upon by the spider.
FEI has partnered with National Geographic on a upcoming giant-screen movie, titled Mysteries of the Unseen World. Carbajo’s winning image will be featured on the National Geographic website.
About the winner
María Carbajo was born in Badajoz (Extremadura) in 1979. In 2002 she finished her studies in Chemical Engineering at the University of Extremadura, and four years later she defended her doctoral thesis “Catalytic and Photocatalytic Ozonation of Water’s Contaminants”. She worked as a teacher for two years at the same University in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Physical Chemistry. In September 2010, she began working as a technician responsible for the Electron Microscopy Unit in the Research Support Services of the University of Extremadura (SAIUEx). María is responsible for sample preparation and handling of scanning electron microscope QUANTA 3D FEG and transmission electron microscope TECNAI G2 20 TWIN. From SAIUEx, María provides service to both researchers and companies in different fields, such as material science, biomedical, chemical and biological ones. María has a 2 year old son, and her hobbies are photography, travel, and spending as much time as possible with her little one.
Source: FEI Company
