Congratulations to the winner of the 2025 CHTP image contest, Tianyu Guo. Her image of calcium carbonate crystals received the most votes in the contest poll. Tianyu is a postdoctoral researcher in the Orlando Rojas research group.
Tianyu Guo with her supervisor, Dr. Orlando Rojas, outside the CHTP.
About the image
This falsely coloured scanning electron microscope image reveals a bio‑inspired mineral–organic structure at the microscale. The prominent angular particles visible throughout the image are mineral crystals that formed directly on and within a fibrous organic scaffold composed of chitin nanofibres. Together, they assemble into a continuous, sheet‑like network that supports and organizes mineral growth.
Tianyu's contest-winning image of calcium carbonate crystals on β-chitin.
By mineralizing the nanofibres in situ, using a process inspired by natural biominerals such as shells and bone, the resulting structure becomes a highly integrated composite in which the minerals are firmly anchored rather than simply mixed in. This close coupling between the mineral crystals and the underlying fibrous framework is a key feature that later enables the spun filaments to resist moisture penetration and maintain performance in humid environments. Such mineral‑reinforced, bio‑based filaments offer a promising alternative to petroleum‑derived textiles, with particular relevance for biomedical applications including surgical threads and sutures.
The CHTP would like to thank all of the users who submitted images to the contest and voted in the poll. We look forward to seeing what images our users will submit in our 2026 contest later this year.
