Zeeks - Art for Geeks is the perfect fusion of science and art. Our passion drives us to provide bespoke data analysis approaches and captivating science art. As a dedicated team, we prioritize delivering the highest quality to our valued customers.

Leading our team is Dr. Elisabeth Kugler, an accomplished scientist with extensive international experience in image-based data and communication. Her ground-breaking research has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals and has won several awards.

Our Zeeks artwork has gained recognition and exposure through various channels, including gallery exhibitions, features on scientific journal covers, community website showcases, and shares across social media platforms.

To ensure exceptional craftsmanship and presentation, we collaborate with  Hofinger BilderRahmen Tirol, a reputable family-owned frame manufacturer and gallery.

Experience the beauty and sophistication of science art at Zeeks - Art for Geeks.

Contact us today to explore our bespoke creations.

Discover the Beauty of Science with Zeeks: Inspiring Through Science Art

Since our first encounter with a microscope, we've been captivated by the exquisite intricacies of nature. How is it possible for cells as small as 10 micrometres to possess such impeccable structure and functionality?

At Zeeks, our mission is to kindle a passion for science and ignite inspiration in others. With extensive expertise in international online and in-person teaching, training, and mentoring, we are dedicated to sharing our knowledge with the world.

We believe that science art is an exceptional medium for spreading wonder and inspiration beyond the academic realms. Through captivating visuals, Zeeks showcases the breath-taking beauty inherent in scientific discoveries.

Join us on a journey where science and art intertwine. Explore the extraordinary beauty of the natural world with Zeeks.

Recognized Excellence: Award-Winning Science Art and Notable Exhibitions

At Zeeks, our science art has garnered acclaim and recognition through numerous prestigious awards and notable exhibitions. We are proud to highlight some of our notable achievements:

• 1st place - Rank Prize Funds Seeing Science photography competition - Optoelectronics 2020 
• 1st place - Image Competition - The University of Sheffield Insigneo institute for in silico medicine 2020
• 2nd place - Image Award - Multinational Congress on Microscopy  2021 (MC2021) 
• shortlist - Scientific Imaging Competition - Royal Microscopy Society (RMS) 2021

Dr Kuglers work has been displayed in exhibitions at the Royal Microscopy Society Conference 2021, the University Engineering Exhibition 2019, and FocalPlane webpage gallery items. We are currently planning our first solo science art exhibition scheduled in 2023, which will contain unique previously unseen artworks and originals. For this we collaborate with the Gallery of Hofinger BilderRahmen Tirol.

Science Art on Scientific Journal Covers

Dr Kugler's work has been featured on the cover of EMBO Reports Aug 2019 (for her discovery on a previously undescribed cell behaviour), the Development journal for her image analysis tool GliaMorph 2023, and the annual Insigneo magazine (for her work on computational quantifications of the zebrafish brain vasculature).

  

Zeeks Data - Our Science

All science art work seen at Zeeks comes from real data that contributed to scientific findings. The main two subjects are (1) the blood vessels of the brain and (2) how cells, called Müller glia, form in the eye. Both projects were conducted with zebrafish as model organism.

(1) Blood Vessels of the Brain

The brain is one of the most important organs, requiring oxygen and nutrients to function. To remain healthy, blood vessels constantly supply the brain with oxygen, nutrients, and signalling molecules. However, little is known about how blood vessels are formed and maintained during life. The two main questions we sought to answer in the project were:

a) Can we produce a computational method to analyse the shape and pattern of the blood vessels in the brain?

Yes, we developed a data analysis workflow, called ZVQ, that is used across laboratories in the world. Read more: here

b) What are these structures?

During our work, Elisabeth discovered a previously undiscovered cell behaviour. She set off to characterize these structures termed kugeln. Read more: here

(2) Müller Glia Cell Formation in the Eye

Cell shape is critical for cell function and health. This is also the case for a cell type called glial cells, which contact and support neurons. In the eye, the principal glial cell type are called Mueller Glia (MG). MG have a stereotypic shape linked to their development and health. The two main questions we sought to answer in the project were:

a) Can we produce a computational method to analyse the shape of these cells, and what does it tell us?

Yes, Elisabeth developed a data analysis workflow called GliaMorph. Read more: here

b) How do these form and start to interact with other cells? 

There is still work ongoing to understand how cells in the eye integrate and interact. Read more: here.

Animal Research Statement

All research involving regulated procedures was carried out in the scope of research projects licensed and strictly regulated by the Home Office under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. All animal handling and procedures was conducted according to licences and guidelines.

All of our research was underpinned by the guiding principles of the three R's, replacement, reduction and refinement, see the National centre for the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research (NC3Rs).

We are committed to openness, transparency, and sharing information about animal research and providing opportunities for the public to find out about research using animals. If you do have any question, please contact us!

Elisabeth has spoken about her work and animal research at various public and scientific events, such as Pint of Science, Ignite, and conferences. If you would like to book a talk with her, please contact us.

Scientific Publications Based on Our Data

1. Kugler, E., Breitenbach, E.-M., & MacDonald, R. (2023). Glia cell morphology analysis using the fiji gliaMorph toolkit. Current Protocols, 3, e654. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.654
2. Research Article -Kugler E., Bravo I., Durmishi X., Marcotti S., Beqiri S., Carrington A., Stramer B., Mattar P., MacDonald R.*; GliaMorph: A modular image analysis toolkit to quantify Muller glial cell morphology. Development 2023; dev.201008. doi: 10.1242/dev.201008
3. Opinion Piece - Schlaeppi A., Adams W., Haase R., Huisken J., MacDonald R., Eliceiri K.*, and Kugler E.*, Meeting in the middle: towards successful multidisciplinary bioimage analysis collaborations. Frontiers in Bioinformatics, April 2022 doi: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.889755
4. Opinion Piece - Jurisch-Yaksi N. #, Kocere A. #, Kugler E. # *, MacDonald R. #, Mosimann C. #, and Yaksi E. #, Microscopy approaches in zebrafish, RMS inFocus, March 2022
5. Journal Article - Kugler *, Frost, Silva, Plant,Chhabria, Chico, and Armitage*, Zebrafish Vascular Quantification (ZVQ): a tool for quantification of three-dimensional zebrafish cerebrovascular architecture by automated image analysis, Development, p. dev.199720, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1242/dev.199720.
6. Review -  Kugler E., Greenwood J, and MacDonald R.*, The ”Neuro-Glial-Vascular” Unit: The Role of Glia in Neurovascular Unit Formation and Dysfunction, Front. Cell Dev. Biol., 27 September 2021, doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.7328
7. Spotlight - Barresi M. #, Coen E. #, Kugler E. #, Shuda J. #, and Sung D.#, Engaging new audiences with imaging and microscopy. Development 15 September 2021; 148 (18): dev199942. doi: doi.org/10.1242/dev.199942 
8. Journal Article -  Kugler E.*, Snodgrass R., Bowley G., Plant K., Serbanovic-Canic J., Hamilton N., Evans P., Chico T., and Armitage P., The effect of absent blood flow on the zebrafish cerebral and trunk vasculature. Vascular Biology, Online Publication Date: 25 Aug 2021 doi: 0.1530/VB-21-0009
9. Review - Bowley G. #, Kugler E. #, et al., Zebrafish as a tractable model of human cardiovascular disease, British Journal of Pharmacology, 2021, doi: 10.1111/bph.15473
10. Review - Chico T.* and Kugler E.*, Cerebrovascular development: mechanisms and experimental approaches, Cell. Mol. Life Sci., Mar. 2021, doi: 10.1007/s00018-021-03790-1.
11. Conference Paper - Kugler E.*, Chico T. and Armitage P., Validating Segmentation of the Zebrafish Vasculature, In: Zheng Y., Williams B., Chen K. (eds) Medical Image Understanding and Analysis. MIUA 2019. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1065. Springer, Cham 2020
12. Journal Article - Kugler E.*, van Lessen M., Daetwyler S., Chhabria K., Savage A., Silva V., Plant K., McDonald R., Huisken J., Wilkinson R., Schulte-Merker S., Armitage P. and Chico T.*, Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells form Transient Notch-Dependent Cystic Structures in Zebrafish, EMBO Reports, Aug 2019, doi: 10.15252/embr.201847047
13. Conference Abstract - Kugler E., Chhabria K., Daetwyler S., Plant K., Savage A., Wilkinson R., Armitage P., Chico T.J.A., Endothelial Cells Form Transient Cystic Structures During Zebrafish Cerebrovascular Development, Cardiovasc Drugs Ther (2019) 33: 261.
14. Journal Article - Kugler E.*, Plant K., Chico T. and Armitage P., Enhancement and Segmentation Workflow for the Developing Zebrafish Vasculature, Journal of Imaging, MDPI, Vol. 5, Issue 1. 2019, https://doi.org/10.3390/jimaging5010014
15. Journal Article - Chhabria K., Plant K., Bandmann O., Wilkinson R., Martin C., Kugler E., Armitage P., Santoscoy P., Cunliffe V., Howarth C.*, and Chico T.*, The Effect of Hyperglycemia on Neurovascular Coupling and Cerebrovascular Patterning in Zebrafish, JCBF, 2018, doi: 10.1177/0271678X18810615
16. Conference Paper - Kugler E.*, Chico T. and Paul A., Image Analysis in Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy Images of Transgenic Zebrafish Vascular Development, In: Nixon, M., Mahmoodi, S. and Zwiggelaar, R., (eds.) Medical Image Understanding and Analysis. MIUA 2018, 09-11 Jul 2018, Southampton, UK. Communications in Computer and Information Science, 894 . Springer Nature Switzerland AG , pp. 343-353. ISBN 9783319959207