The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition lets us see beyond the capabilities of our unaided eyes. Almost 2000 entries from 70 countries vied for recognition in the 37th annual contest, which celebrates photography through a microscope. Images two through 21 showcase the contest's winners in order, and are followed by a selection of other outstanding works. Scientists and photographers turned their attention on a wide range of subjects, both living and man-made, from lacewing larva to charged couple devices, sometimes magnifying them over 2000 times their original size. --
Lane Turner
Lane Turner
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| The venation network of a young quaking aspen leaf (Populus tremuloides) was magnified 4 times by Benjamin Blonder and David Elliott of the University of Arizona in Tucson utilizing a brightfield image of safranin-stained tissue. (Benjamin Blonder and David Elliott) |
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| Dr. Donna Stolz of the University of Pittsburgh assembled a wreath collage of mammalian cells stained for various proteins and organelles magnified from 220x to 2000x. (Dr. Donna Stolz) |
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| Douglas Moore of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point used stereomicroscopy and fiber optics to photograph unpolished agatized ca. 150 million years old dinosaur bone cells magnified 42 times. (Douglas Moore) |
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| A freshwater shrimp eye and head shot with image stacking photography by Jose R. Almodovar at the Microscopy Center, Biology Department, UPR Mayaguez Campus in Mayaquez, Puerto Rico. (Jose R. Almodovar) |
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| Bladderwort bladder (Utricularia gibber) photographed with the darkfield method and magnified 40x by Jose R. Almodovar at the Microscopy Center, Biology Department, UPR Mayaguez Campus in Mayaquez, Puerto Rico. (Jose R. Almodovar) |
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| A confocal image of giant liposomes of pulmonary surfactant was magnified 40 times by Dr. Jorge Bernardino de la Serna of MEMPHYS - Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Odense, Denmark. (Dr. Jorge Bernardino de la Serna) |
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| A confocal image of a reconstruction of a fruit fly (Drosophila sp.) nervous system by Dr. Jana Boerner of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Fla. (Dr. Jana Boerner) |
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| Using laser-triggered high-speed macrophotography, Dr. John H. Brackenbury of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, UK captured a water droplet containing a pair of mosquito larvae. (Dr. John H. Brackenbury) |
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| Jonathan Franks of the University of Pittsburgh used the confocal method with autofluorescence to capture algae biofilm. (Jonathan Franks) |
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| The embryonic pectoral fin of a whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) was photographed by Dr. Andrew Gillis of the University of Cambridge using stereomicroscopy with fiber optic lighting. (Dr. Andrew Gillis) |
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| Dr. Marta Guervos of the Image Processing Unit, Scientific-Technical Facilities, University of Oviedo in Asturias, Spain photographed Acacia dealbata (Silver wattle tree) anther using the confocal method with autofluorescence. (Dr. Marta Guervos) |
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| Confocal image of Clausidium sp. nov., female with egg sacs, ventral view was made by Dr. Terue Kihara of the German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB) in Senckenberg am Meer, Germany. (Dr. Terue Kihara) |
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| An antique mount of a blowfly (Calliphoridae) proboscis was photographed by Dr. Davis Linstead of Kent, UK with differential interference contrast. (Dr. David Linstead) |
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| The double compound eyes of a male St. Mark's fly (Bibio marci) photographed with reflected (episcopic) diffuse illumination by Dr. David Maitland of Feltwell, UK. (Dr. David Maitland) |
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| The egg of a red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) in stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) trichomes photographed by David Millard of Austin, Texas with diffuse incident illumination. (David Millard) |
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| Marek Mis of Suwalki, Poland used polarized light to photograph green algae (Spirogyra sp.) filaments. (Marek Mis) |
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| The eyes (anterior lateral and median) of a jumping spider photographed in reflected light by Walter Piorkowski of South Beloit, Illinois. (Walter Piorkowski) |
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| A confocal image of a charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, direct surface view, magnified 1000 times by Kevin Smith of MetPrep Ltd. in Warwickshire, UK. (Kevin Smith) |
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| A water flea (Daphnia sp.) and green algae (Volvox sp.) captured with darkfield and flash by Dr. Ralf Wagner of Dusseldorf, Germany. (Dr. Ralf Wagner) |
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| The mouth of a common fly photographed with fiber optic illumination by Dr. Havi Sarfaty of the Israeli Veterinary Association. (Dr. Havi Sarfaty) |
