28 October 2016

The Université de Sherbrooke has won two of the four prizes awarded in the Science Exposed contest, which is devoted to images of scientific research.

François Rheault, a master’s student in Computer Science—Digital Imaging in the Faculty of Science, received the $1000 People’s Choice award for White Matter Colorful (Matière blanche haute en couleur).

The image is a virtual reconstruction of the brain’s white matter, hidden under its grey matter. White matter is composed of a multitude of axons—neuron extensions—that are covered in myelin, a white substance that facilitates the transmission of electrochemical information.

Youcef Bioud, an Electrical and Computer Engineering student, was the winner of one of the three $2000 Jury Selection awards for the image Days of Heaven (Les moissons du ciel). The subject consists of indium phosphide nanowires made by electrochemical etching, obtained by passing voltage into the solution in which the material is submerged.

The three-dimensional filaments that are formed are of particular interest to the photovoltaic cell industry as sunlight can be absorbed both on the material’s surface as well as within its layers.

The 2016 award winners were announced during the TV show Découverte on Ici Radio-Canada Télé and the prizes were presented at ACFAS’s 72^nd gala. Winning images were chosen from among 20 finalists.

Source: Université de Sherbrooke