I dont know if you are using the new photoshop but maybe use the shadow/highlight feature on your image here and I bet you get some finer details out of it. Maybe also having come closer to your subject to get more of the texture so the lines are more defined. A little more contrast after the shadow/high light option make the color more powerful in one way or another or some extra saturation.
This looks like a contour filter was used on it. Was it done in the camera?
Design wise, it's okay but it doesn't why me. No one element really pops out at me.
Your title works very well for the image. Makes you wonder if it is a plate fulll of bacteria - or just a manipulated pix of a topo map. In either case, whatever it is, it fits the challenge and has lots of interest. I would be a bit happier if there were one "center of interest" that stood out a bit.