For 50 years now, camera company Nikon has been highlighting microscopic marvels with the annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. Headlining this year’s winners is a groundbreaking view of mouse brain tumor cells.
The Nikon Small World competition celebrates the art of science, bringing our attention to the minute details we all too often overlook. As such, common subjects include human, animal and plant cells, slime mold, extreme close-ups of insects, and physical processes frozen in time. Entries aren’t just prized on their aesthetics, but also their scientific value.
That’s clear in this year’s overall winner, which was awarded to Dr. Bruno Cisterna and Dr. Eric Vitriol. Their photo shows differentiated mouse brain tumor cells, specifically highlighting components like the actin cytoskeleton, microtubules and nuclei. Importantly, it shows how disruptions to those components can lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS.
Second place was awarded to Dr. Marcel Clemens for a stunning shot capturing electricity arcing between a pin and a wire. Third place went to Chris Romaine for an image of a cannabis plant leaf, which reveals cannabinoid vesicles as pink bubbles on hair-like plant appendages called trichomes.
The rest of the top 20 winners, as well as the 67 honorable mentions and images of distinction, showcase a variety of tiny wonders like cells and scales, eggs and embryos. Even in its 50th anniversary edition, there’s no shortage of art to appreciate in the microscopic world.
“At 50 years, Nikon Small World is more than just an imaging competition – it’s become a gallery that pays tribute to the extraordinary individuals who make it possible,” said Ertic Flem, Senior Manager, CRM and Communications at Nikon Instruments. “They are the driving force behind this event, masterfully blending science and art to reveal the wonders of the microscopic world and what we can learn from it to the public. Sometimes, we overlook the tiny details of the world around us. Nikon Small World serves as a reminder to pause, appreciate the power and beauty of the little things, and to cultivate a deeper curiosity to explore and question.”
Check out the rest of the winners in our gallery, and browse the full list of 87 top entries on the Nikon Small World website. If microscopic videos are more your jam, there's always the Nikon Small World in Motion competition too.
Source: Nikon Small World
