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Announcement of the Drosophila Image Award From the first of Morgan's mutants to polytene chromosome squashes to the early studies of patterned embryonic gene expression, Drosophila genetics has been a strongly visual field. The power of exciting pictures to capture attention (the four-winged fly), to introduce innovative new tools for analysis (GFP-exu) or illustrate a fundamental principle (the bicoid gradient) has been a driving force for the research community and has drawn new scientists to Drosophila research. Such images are not limited to photographs, as illustrated by the activity charts of per mutants and the homeobox 'zooblot'. What all these images have in common, in addition to the pride taken by the creators in generating the data, is the encapsulation of an important biological result in a striking visual image. In recognition of this fact, the Drosophila Board has initiated an annual award to recognize, celebrate, and encourage the generation of compelling images that communicate important biological results relevant to Drosophila. Criteria Because the Award is tied closely to science as well as aesthetics, only images that have been accepted for publication in the calendar year prior to the entry deadline are eligible. Images are limited to a minimum number (one to two) of panels, reflecting the importance of WT and mutant analyses in Drosophila research. Images will be accompanied by a brief (1-3 sentence) caption describing the image and the result shown. The selection criteria are the importance of the biological result, the clarity with which the result is shown, and aesthetic appeal. In general the award will be given each year to the most striking image that clearly conveys an important biological result in Drosophila research. Award Process Images and accompanying captions will be submitted electronically between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1 to the Image Award committee. Submissions are to be made by the scientist who generated the image; the Award will be given only to individuals. The committee will select five finalists and choose one winner from amongst them. The winner will be presented with a plaque with a framed image in a presentation in the opening session of the Drosophila Research Conference. All finalists will also have their images displayed during the presentation. The members of the committee for 2003 are: Peter Lawrence (MRC-Cambridge) Liqun Luo (Stanford) Laurel Raftery (Harvard) Trudi Schupbach (Princeton) Contact For More Information on the Drosophila Image Award, send an e-mail to: drosophilaimageaward@uclink.berkeley.edu. 
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