Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation

Neuronal Megacity (H. sapiens)

This picture is based on scanning-electron-microscopy technology, and all colors were manually added to visualize the complex network formed by a neuronal cell in vitro.

The concept of the artist was to compare a nerve cell to a modern megacity,
revealing the complex architecture of the brain. In detail, an infinite number of
cellular extensions and microscopical structures unfold, whereas in the overview a tangle of connections is leading towards, or away, or around the center point 
resembling the dense road and railway network of a megacity. Along the edges the picture was deliberately darkened and blurred to remember how many discoveries may lay ahead in the area of neuronal sciences

Cloëtta Prizes in the field of neurophysiology recently were awarded to Denis Jabaudon 2017, Andreas Lüthi 2016, and Fritjof Helmchen 2015.

Magnification: 11.910x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2020, supported by Sophie Herzog and Daniel Müller, D-BSSE, ETH Zürich, Pathology, Univ. Hosp. Basel, and Bio-EM Lab, Biozentrum, University Basel.

ILLUMINATED IMAGE, Format: 200 x 200 cm, The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Circulating Tumor Cells at Night (H. sapiens)

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that leave their primary
tumor location and travel through the bloodstream, on their way to setting up
a new metastatic lesion.

This artistically colored scanning-electron-micrograph (SEM) shows a CTC cluster which was collected from the blood of a breast cancer patient at night time. Detailed analysis of such samples has revealed that most CTCs are generated during the rest phase of the circadian rhythm. Further morphological analysis of CTCs during different phases of the circadian rhythm will allow the identification of critical signals that dictate CTC formation and help to explain how clusters of CTCs are organized during different phases of the circadian rhythm. In the long run, a better understanding of the biology of metastasis allows scientists to develop more effective cancer therapies designed to reduce the cancer spread.

Cloëtta Prizes in the field of tumor biology and cancer recently were awarded to Mohamed Bentires-Alj 2020 and Johanna Joyce 2018

Cloëtta Prizes for microfluidic technology development were awarded to Bart Deplancke 2021 and Timm Schroeder 2018. 

Magnification: 40.667x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2022, in collaboration with Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Bio-EM Lab, University Basel, and I Krol, A Altin-Stolz, and N Aceto, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich.

ROLL-UP,  Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Invasively Growing Cancer Cell (Homo sapiens)

Cancer cells develop the ability to move themselves, sooner or later. The picture shows an invasively growing tumor cell, which is pulling itself around with the help of its appendages. In comparison to a healthy cell its extensions are smaller and because of the quicker assembly and disassembly of smaller appendixes, this cell moves faster than a healthy cell.

Cloëtta Prizes in the field of tumor biology and cancer recently were awarded to Mohamed Bentires-Alj 2020 and Johanna Joyce 2018.

Magnification: 55.467x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2010, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz.

ROLL-UP, Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Muscle Fibers (Mus musculus)

The image shows the cross section through a healthy muscle. Individual muscle fibers (red) differ significantly from surrounding tissue of the extracellular matrix (white). In humans, muscular stability can be affected by genetic defects. Those affected suffer from degenerative muscle weakness. This picture was created as part of an innovative research project in which a therapy for this disease is being developed. Hand-colored scanning electron microscopy image by Martin Oeggerli.

A Cloëtta Prize in the field of tissue degeneration and regeneration recently was awarded to Nadia Mercader Huber 2020.

Magnification: 9.914x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2009, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz.

ROLL-UP, Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Fat Cell (Mus musculus)

Mammals have two different forms of adipose tissue with different functions: white (energy storage, insulation) and brown adipose tissue (generating heat). In order to be able to store a lot of energy in as little space as possible, individual cells are only separated by extremely thin connective tissue walls and their structure resembles a honeycomb, which maximizes the volume (=storage space) while avoiding empty space at the same time. Hand-colored scanning electron microscopy image by Martin Oeggerli.

A Cloëtta Prize in the field of adipose tissue recently was awarded to Bart Deplancke 2020.

Magnification: 19.491x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2009, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz.

ROLL-UP, Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Coronavirus (CoV2)

Nine original TEM image scans were captured in March 2020 by Clarissa Read at the Institute of Virology in Ulm, and then hand-coloured by Martin Oeggerli. The nine initial images are many times repeated in this picture to indicate the rapid multiplication of the virus.

This virus is airborne and primarily spreads between people through close contact and via aerosols and respiratory droplets that are exhaled when talking, breathing, or otherwise exhaling, as well as those produced from coughs and sneezes. In 2020 SARS-CoV-2 caused a pandemic outbreak, and epidemiological studies estimate that between Dec 2019 and Sept 2020 each infection resulted in an average of 2.4–3.4 new infections. Subsequent variants become more infectious.

A Cloëtta Prize in the field of viral infections recently was awarded to Annette Oxenius 2022.

Magnification: various

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli (Micronaut 2020), with Marion Schneider and Clarissa Read, Institute of Virology, Ulm University Medical Center.

ROLL-UP, Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Colon Bacteria – V (Escherichia coli)

Bacteria put the tang in yogurt and the sour in sourdough bread; bacteria help to break down dead organic matter; bacteria make up the base of the food web in many environments and they were among the earliest living organisms on earth.

Escherichia coli bacteria are rod shaped and typically about 2µm long and 0.25-1µm in diameter. Some strains are motile and possess flagella. Living symbiotically inside the intestine of mammals, including humans, E. coli bacteria usually benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2 and by preventing pathogenic bacteria to colonize the gut. They are also the most diverse bacterial species.

Cloëtta Prizes in the field of bacteria, bacterial pathogens, and parasites recently were awarded to Anne Müller 2021 and Dominique Soldati-Favre 2015.

Magnification: 85.361x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2015, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz.

ROLL-UP, Format: 200 x 100 cm. The picture is available as fine art print in different formats. Orders and contact: info@micronaut.ch

Retina – II (Homo sapiens)

The human retina is an extremely complex neural network and the first stage of visual perception in the brain. It is the place where over 100 million visual cells (light receptors) convert an image of the outside world into a simple neural signal. This is quickly transmitted via several stations to the optical nerve and from there to the visual center of the brain and interpreted as an image. Although there are 10-15 special receptors for different optical stimuli, such as movements, colors, rough outlines or fine details, et cetera, we perceive the entire process as a “continuous flow of images” without even coming close to the immensity of understanding the complexity of our most highly developed sensory organ.

Hand-colored scanning electron microscopy image by Martin Oeggerli, in collaboration with Prof. Hendrik Scholl & Prof. Botond Roska, Eye Clinic Basel & IOB, Basel.

A Cloëtta Prize in the field of human vision and retina physiology recently was awarded to Botond Roska 2019.

Magnification: 34.710x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2019, in collaboration with Eye clinic & IOB, Basel, Pathologie,
University Hospital Basel, und C-CINA, Biocenter, University Basel.

Collector’s Edition, Edition of 5, Format: 120x160cm, Frame: Shadow gap with acrylic cover,
Pricing: CHF 12.500.- Please contact artist for more information: info@micronaut.ch

Beloved Enemy (Homo sapiens, Helicobacter pylori)

Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that is resistant to stomach acid. According to estimates, around half of all people worldwide are affected by it. There are often no symptoms, but the infection can lead to gastritis, stomach or duodenal ulcers, and stomach cancer. The discovery of H. pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease has led to the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to Barry Marshall and Robin Warren. Prophylactic treatment with antibiotics is often used to prevent cancer, even if there are no symptoms.

France’s Emperor Napoleon (1769-1821) is probably the most prominent victim of a stomach ulcer caused by H. pylori. However, recent scientific studies also show that H. pylori is able to strengthen the immune system of its host under certain conditions and thereby reliably protects it from allergy-related asthma.

Cloëtta Prizes in the field of bacteria, bacterial pathogens, and parasites recently were awarded to Anne Müller 2021 and Dominique Soldati-Favre 2015.

Magnification: 18.950:1

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2011/2022, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz, and Anne Müller, University Zurich.

Classic Edition, Edition of 25, Format: 50x70cm, Frame: Shadow gap with acrylic cover, Pricing: CHF 3.500.- Please contact artist for more information: info@micronaut.ch

My Blood, Sweat and Tears (Homo sapiens)

Approximately 2.4 million new red blood cells are produced per second in a human adult. They are the most common type of cells in the blood and represent the vertebrate body’s principal means of delivering oxygen from the lungs or gills to body tissues. Following an injury, blood clotting produces a fibrin network to close the wound.

“My Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this work,” says Martin Oeggerli. The artist is using a scanning electron microscope to freeze time and set focus on his own blood cells. The final picture reveals over a hundred erythrocytes entangled in a delicate network of fibrin.

A Cloëtta Prize in the field of blood cells and hematology recently was awarded to Markus Manz 2017.

Magnification: 4.676x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2016, supported by Pathology,
University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW.

Classic Edition, Edition of 25, Format: 50x70cm, Frame: Shadow gap with acrylic cover, Pricing: CHF 3.500.- Please contact artist for more information: info@micronaut.ch

Dendritic Cells (Homo sapiens)

Dendritic cells, whose name comes from their tree-like cell extensions, are found in almost all peripheral tissues of the body. They fulfill an important function in the immune system by constantly monitoring their surroundings. To do this, they take up extracellular components through phagocytosis or endocytosis, process them and then present them as peptides on their cell surface in the MHC context. It does not matter whether they are small proteins or entire microorganisms. After contact with a foreign body, dendritic cells leave the tissue they are monitoring and migrate to the nearest lymph node. There they come into contact with T-cells and induce a specific immune response to the antigen they present.

Cloëtta Prizes in the fields of immunology and inflammation recently were awarded to Annette Oxenius 2022, Doron Merkler 2022, Oliver Distler 2019, Michel Gilliet 2017, and Marc Donath 2014.

Magnification: 9.276x

Credits: © Martin Oeggerli 2015, supported by Pathology, University Hospital Basel, and School of Life Sciences, FHNW, Muttenz, and Anne Muller, University Zurich.

Classic Edition, Edition of 25, Format: 50x70cm, Frame: Shadow gap with acrylic cover, Pricing: CHF 3.500.- Please contact artist for more information: info@micronaut.ch

Fine Art by Micronaut / Martin Oeggerli

Pricing: acrylic cover and shadow-gap framing are included (other options available upon request)

 My works are available in two separate editions: the Collector Edition includes large format prints measuring at least 150 x 100cm, or more (maximum format depends on the size of the original hand-colored SEM scan) and it is limited to 5 pieces.  The Classic Edition offers a medium format range (usually 70 x 50cm), and is limited to 25 pieces. 

Collector Edition, orignal format (> 150x100cm)
Limited edition of 5

– Format 150x100cm: CHF 9.500.-
– Format 160x120cm: CHF 12.500.-
– Format 180x135cm: CHF 14.500.-

Classic Edition, reduced size (e.g. 70 x 50cm):
Limited edition of 25

– Format 70x50cm: CHF 3.500.-
– Format 100x70cm: CHF 4.500.-