Our world has many enchanting, intricate, and rich details which can only be revealed through the microscope. It is where art, science, and the mysteries of the universe come together in harmony, offering us views of diminutive wonders that are beyond our grasp. To celebrate the path-breaking excellence of microscopic photography, Nikon launched the Nikon Small World Competition, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Each year, the contest keeps showcasing unparalleled talent that pushes the boundaries of science and photography. Without further ado, let’s look at the captivating winner of the Nikon Small World competition.
The lead image is by Stephanie Huang, courtesy of the Nikon Small World contest. All are used with permission.
Tables of Contents
The Top 20 Winners of the Nikon Small World Competition
1st Place
Dr. Bruno Cisterna & Dr. Eric Vitriol, USA
Dr. Bruno Cisterna & Dr. Eric Vitriol are from the Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA. This photograph is a groundbreaking depiction of mouse brain tumor cells, highlighting the actin cytoskeleton, microtubules, and nuclei. This photograph illustrates how disruptions in the cell’s cytoskeleton – the structural framework and “highways” known as microtubules – can lead to
diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS.
According to scientists, profilin 1 (PFN1), a protein crucial for building the cell’s structure, helps safeguard microtubule highways that are significant for cellular transport. When PFN1 or related functions face hindrance, these highways may break down, resulting in cellular damage seen in neurodegenerative diseases. Through this photograph and research, scientists are closer to discovering the solution that can aid millions of lives.
Speaking about the image, Dr. Cisterna said, “One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don’t fully understand what causes them. To develop effective treatments, we need to figure out the basics first. Our research is crucial for uncovering this knowledge and ultimately finding a cure. Differentiated cells could be used to study how mutations or toxic proteins that cause Alzheimer’s or ALS alter neuronal morphology and to screen potential drugs or gene therapies aimed at protecting neurons or restoring their function.”
To create this image, the doctors spent three months “perfecting the staining process to ensure clear visibility of the cells.” Once the cells began to differentiate, they had to look for ways to show how the differentiated and non-differentiated cells interacted. “This took about three hours of precise observation under the microscope to capture the right moment, involving many attempts and countless hours of work to get it just right,” Dr. Cisterna added.
The search has now been published in the Journal of Cell Biology, but the work is far from finished. “I’m deeply passionate about scientific imaging; I’ve been following the Nikon Small World contest for about 15 years. It’s an incredible contest that highlights the beauty of photomicrography but also inspires continued exploration and innovation in the field,” Dr. Cisterna added.
2nd Place
Dr. Marcel Clemens, Italy
This photograph depicts an electrical arc between a pin and a wire produced by applying a potential difference of 10,000 volts. The image combines a long exposure of the electrical arc, which has then been stacked together. Objective lens magnification: 10x.
3rd Place
Chris Romaine, USA
The photograph is of a cannabis leaf. The bulbous glands are called trichomes, while the bubbles inside are cannabinoid vesicles, fluid-filled, blister-like structures. Objective lens magnification: 20x.
4th Place
Dr. Amy Engevik, USA
Dr. Amy Engevik works at the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology Charleston at the Medical University of South Carolina. This image illustrates a fluorescence section of a mouse’s small intestine. The objective lens magnification is 10x.
5th Place
Thomas Barlow & Connor Gibbons, USA
The duo is from the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Columbia University, New York. In this image, we see a cluster of octopus (Octopus hummelincki) eggs shot using a darkfield, stereomicroscope, and focus stacking. Objective lens magnification: 3x.
6th Place
Henri Koskinen, Finland
The picture is of a slime mold (Cribraria cancellata), shot using polarized light and reflected light and then stacked together. The objective lens magnification is 10x. Koskinen is from Helsinki University in Finland.
7th Place
Gerhard Vlcek, Austria
This Nikon Small World Contest winner portrays a cross-section of European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) leaf, shot with brightfield and then stacked together. The objective lens magnification is 10x.
8th Place
Stephanie Huang, New Zealand
The Nikon Small World Contest winner portrays a neuron densely covered in dendritic spines from the striatum of an adult rat brain. It was captured with confocal and deconvolution. Huang is from Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences; School of Psychology, Wellington. The objective lens magnification is 60x.
9th Place
John-Oliver Dum, Germany
This image depicts pollen in a garden spider (Araneus) web. John works at Medienbunker Produktion Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz. The objective lens magnification is 20x.
10th Place
Jan Martinek, Czech Republic
The image depicts spores of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). Martinek is from the Department of Experimental Plant Biology at the Charles University. The objective lens magnification is 63x.
11th Place
Dr. Ferenc Halmos, Hungary
The Nikon Small World Contest winner depicts a slime mold on a rotten twig with water droplets. The objective lens magnification is 0.7x – 4.5x.
12th Place
Daniel Knop, Germany
The photograph is of a butterfly’s (Papilio ulysses) wing scales on a medical syringe needle. The objective lens magnification is 20x.
13th Place
Paweł Błachowicz, Poland
This Nikon Small World Contest-winning image shows the eyes of a green crab spider (Diaea dorsata). It was captured with reflected light, and the objective lens magnification is 20x.
14th Place
Marek Miś, Poland
This photograph shows a recrystallized mixture of hydroquinone and myoinositol captured using polarized light and a 10x objective lens magnification.
15th Place
Sébastien Malo, France
The image depicts isolated scales on the Madagascan sunset moth wing (Chrysiridia ripheus), captured with darkfield, reflected light, and a 40x objective lens magnification.
16th Place
Marek Miś, Poland
This Nikon Small World Contest-winning photograph depicts two water fleas (Daphnia sp.) with embryos (left) and eggs (right). It has been captured using darkfield, polarized light, and 10x of objective lens magnification.
17th Place
Dr. Frantisek Bednar, Slovak Republic
The photograph is of stonewort algae (Chara virgata) reproductive organs: oogonia (female organs) and antheridia (male organs), shot with darkfield and 4x of objective lens magnification.
18th Place
Alison Pollack, USA
This image depicts an insect egg parasitized by a wasp. It was captured using reflected light and 10x objective lens magnification.
19th Place
Alison Pollack, USA
This Nikon Small World Contest-winning photograph reveals a seed of a silene plant captured with reflected light and 10x of objective lens magnification.
20th Place
Dr. Bruno Cisterna & Dr. Eric Vitriol, USA
The image portrays an early stage of mouse glioblastoma cell differentiation (actin, microtubules, and mitochondria), shot using a super-resolution 100X objective lens magnification.
Honorable Mentions
Christopher Algar, the United Kingdom
Dr. Kseniia Bondarenko, the United Kingdom
Dr. Anja de Lange, South Africa
Dr. Amy Engevik, USA
Daniel Evrard, Belgium
Randy Fullbright, USA
Dr. David Maitland, the United Kingdom
Angus Rae, Australia
Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz, USA
Jochen Stern, Germany
Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert, USA
Kevin Terretaz, France
For more information, visit the Nikon Small World contest’s website.