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The 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, now in its 50th year, celebrates the beauty and science behind the smallest details of our world. Each year, scientists and artists from around the globe submit stunning microscope images that reveal extraordinary views of life on a microscopic scale. From intricate cell structures to fascinating natural phenomena, these images offer a unique glimpse into the hidden world around us.

This year’s winners did not disappoint. First place was awarded to Dr. Bruno Cisterna for his incredible image of mouse brain tumor cells, which sheds light on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS. The 2024 competition continues to highlight how microscopy advances both art and science.

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#1

Image Of Distinction - Zhang Chao

Image Of Distinction - Zhang Chao

National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Beijing, China

"Beach sand."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
85points
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The organizers of Nikon Small World 2024 revealed that judges reviewed entries from around the world to choose the winners. They looked for images that stood out for their originality, the information they showed, technical skill, and visual appeal.

This year, the competition received about 2,100 photos from 80 different countries.
#2

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Laurent Formery And Dr. Nathaniel Clarke

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Laurent Formery And Dr. Nathaniel Clarke

Stanford University
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Pacific Grove, California, USA

"Nervous system of a young sea star."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
74points
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#3

12th Place - Daniel Knop

12th Place - Daniel Knop

Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany

"Wing scales of a butterfly (Papilio ulysses) on a medical syringe needle."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
70points
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Dr. Cisterna’s winning image is not just beautiful—it’s important for science. His work helps us understand how changes in the structure of brain cells may lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS. By capturing this image, Dr. Cisterna gives us a better view of how these diseases work, which could help find treatments in the future. His image truly combines science and art, showing how powerful and meaningful microscopy can be.

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"One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don't fully understand what causes them,” said Dr. Cisterna. “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, as well as to screen potential drugs or gene therapies aimed at protecting neurons or restoring their function.”
#4

Image Of Distinction - Timothy Boomer

Image Of Distinction - Timothy Boomer

Vacaville, California, USA

"Slime mold (Prototrichia metallica)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
66points
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#5

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Håkan Kvarnström

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Håkan Kvarnström

Bromma, Sweden

"Peacock plume feather."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
59points
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“After three years of research, we finally published our findings four months ago in the Journal of Cell Biology, and there's still more work to be done. 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," said Dr. Cisterna.

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#6

Honorable Mention - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

Honorable Mention - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia, USA

"Antenna of a mole crab."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
57points
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#7

3rd Place - Chris Romaine

3rd Place - Chris Romaine

Port Townsend, Washington, USA

"Leaf of a cannabis plant. The bulbous glands are trichomes. The bubbles inside are cannabinoid vesicles."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
54points
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Second place went to Dr. Marcel Clemens, who captured an electrical arc between a pin and a wire, created by a 10,000-volt charge. Third place was awarded to Chris Romaine for his close-up of a cannabis leaf, showing tiny trichomes and cannabinoid vesicles. These images, along with many others from the 2024 competition, show the beauty and variety of the microscopic world, blending creativity and science in exciting ways.
#8

Image Of Distinction - Uwe Lange

Image Of Distinction - Uwe Lange

Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany

"Pollen on the compound eyes of a fly."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
54points
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#9

Image Of Distinction - Ted Kinsman

Image Of Distinction - Ted Kinsman

Rochester Institute of Technology
Photosciences Department
Rochester, New York, USA

"A common house cat claw."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
51points
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The 2024 judging panel included:

• Adrian Coakley, Director of Photography at National Geographic Books;

• Michelle S. Itano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology and Director of the Neuroscience Microscopy Core at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;

• Emily Petersen, Photography Managing Editor at Science Magazine;

• Clare Waterman, Ph.D., Cell Biologist and Member of the National Academy of Sciences;

• Jennifer C. Waters, Ph.D., Director of the Core for Imaging Technology & Education at Harvard Medical School;

• Samantha Yammine, Ph.D., Neuroscientist and Science Communicator.
#10

13th Place - Paweł Błachowicz

13th Place - Paweł Błachowicz

Bedlno, Świętokrzyskie, Poland

"Eyes of green crab spider (Diaea dorsata)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
50points
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#11

2nd Place - Dr. Marcel Clemens

2nd Place - Dr. Marcel Clemens

Verona, Veneto, Italy

"Electrical arc between a pin and a wire."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
47points
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#12

5th Place - Thomas Barlow And Connor Gibbons

5th Place - Thomas Barlow And Connor Gibbons

Columbia University
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
New York, New York, USA

"Cluster of octopus (Octopus hummelincki) eggs."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
47points
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#13

Honorable Mention - Randy Fullbright

Honorable Mention - Randy Fullbright

Vernal, Utah, USA

"Agatized dinosaur bone."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
47points
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atombohr avatar
Atom Bohr
Atom Bohr
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's beautiful, I just wish there was some indication of the kind of magnification involved in each of these

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#14

Honorable Mention - Jochen Stern

Honorable Mention - Jochen Stern

Mannheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

"Golden bug eggs on a sage leaf."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
46points
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melloncollie avatar
MellonCollie
MellonCollie
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I especially like the surface of the sage leaf. You can feel it is velvety to the touch, and this picture shows exactly why that is.

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#15

Honorable Mention - Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert

Honorable Mention - Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert

Glendale, Arizona, USA

"Ocelli between the compound eyes of a yellow jacket."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
45points
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#16

Image Of Distinction - Thomas Neumann

Image Of Distinction - Thomas Neumann

Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

"Ink dot on Japanese washi paper."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
42points
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#17

6th Place - Henri Koskinen

6th Place - Henri Koskinen

Helsinki University
Helsinki, Uudenmaan lääni, Finland

"Slime mold (Cribraria cancellata)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
41points
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#18

Image Of Distinction - Elkhan Yusifov And Dr. Martina Schaettin

Image Of Distinction - Elkhan Yusifov And Dr. Martina Schaettin

University of Zurich
Department of Molecular Life Sciences
Zurich, Switzerland

"Developing nervous system in the eye of a 7-day-old chick embryo."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
41points
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nothisispatrick09 avatar
BeefCowJr
BeefCowJr
Community Member
3 weeks ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

whooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaa... Also, how on earth would one even 𝘨𝘦𝘵 this photo? Amazing....

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#19

7th Place - Gerhard Vlcek

7th Place - Gerhard Vlcek

Maria Enzersdorf, Austria

"Cross section of European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) leaf."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
40points
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#20

Honorable Mention - Daniel Evrard

Honorable Mention - Daniel Evrard

Aywaille, Liege, Belgium

"Vinyl player needle on scratched vinyl disk."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
40points
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#21

9th Place - John-Oliver Dum

9th Place - John-Oliver Dum

Medienbunker Produktion
Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany

"Pollen in a garden spider (Araneus) web."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
38points
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david2074 avatar
David
David
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those videos on youtube where the tumbleweeds are out of control

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#22

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Saikat Ghosh

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Saikat Ghosh

National Institutes of Health
NICHD
Bethesda, Maryland, USA

"Human neurons."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
38points
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jnogrimes avatar
UncleJohn3000
UncleJohn3000
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That one over in the back, by itself, is the one that stores the location of my car keys.

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#23

Image Of Distinction - Joshua Coogler

Image Of Distinction - Joshua Coogler

Dallas, North Carolina, USA

"Moss sporophyte with spores (green)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
37points
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#24

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany

"Opening of a hibiscus flower (Hibiscus moscheutos) exposing the pollen in four stages, each ten minutes apart."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
37points
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#25

11th Place - Dr. Ferenc Halmos

11th Place - Dr. Ferenc Halmos

Bánd, Veszprém, Hungary

"Slime mold on a rotten twig with water droplets."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
36points
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#26

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany

"Dorsal part of cuckoo wasp (Hedychrum gerstaeckeri) abdomen."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
36points
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#27

Image Of Distinction - Jacek Myslowski

Image Of Distinction - Jacek Myslowski

Wloclawek, Kujawko-Pomorskie, Poland

"Water mite (Arrenurus)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
34points
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#28

16th Place - Marek Miś

16th Place - Marek Miś

Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland

"Two water fleas (Daphnia sp.) with embryos (left) and eggs (right)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
33points
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#29

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia, USA

"Aster anther cross-section with pollen grains (green)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
33points
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#30

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Robert Markus

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Robert Markus

University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences, Super Resolution Microscopy
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

"Dandelion (Traxacum officinale) cross section showing curved stigma with pollen."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:
32points
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Note: this post originally had 87 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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