This summer, some of the world’s leading science laboratories will open their doors to professional and amateur photographers. Several labs around the world— including the prestigious CERN near Geneva, Switzerland—are participating in the Global Physics Photowalk, which happens every six years and is organized by Interactions Collaboration, a communication platform for particle physics laboratories.

Photographers who apply and are chosen are invited behind the scenes to photograph rarely seen research instruments and scientists at work. The photographers then submit their images into competitions at the individual labs and then into a global competition, which concludes with a shortlist of images up for a final public vote. 

Amanda Arnold is a senior editor.