30 Mind-Blowing Microscopic Images From The 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest

#1

Image Of Distinction - Zhang Chao

National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Beijing, China

"Beach sand."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

85points

POST

Tamra 3 weeks ago

Wow, that's beautiful!

20points

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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

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

POST

Glix Drap 3 weeks ago

Stunning!

6points

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#3

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

POST

Multa Nocte 3 weeks ago

Incredible!

7points

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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.

"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

Vacaville, California, USA

"Slime mold (Prototrichia metallica)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

66points

POST

ABC no seven FCK CENSORING 3 weeks ago

Metallica! 🤘🤘

14points

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#5

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Håkan Kvarnström

Bromma, Sweden

"Peacock plume feather."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

59points

POST

Multa Nocte 3 weeks ago

Stunning!

6points

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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.

#6

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

POST

Jay Scales 3 weeks ago

Seems the closer we look, the more beautiful it gets...

11points

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#7

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

POST

Gregory The Dinosaur 3 weeks ago

It looks almsot alien

11points

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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

Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany

"Pollen on the compound eyes of a fly."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

54points

POST

ABC no seven FCK CENSORING 3 weeks ago

I know, I'm childish and all, but... that pollen looks like a penis. 🤭

16points

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#9

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

POST

FROGLET 3 weeks ago

Rainbow murder mittens!!!

42points

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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

Bedlno, Świętokrzyskie, Poland

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

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

50points

POST

ABC no seven FCK CENSORING 3 weeks ago

That looks like something from the more spooky version of Monsters, Inc.

18points

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#11

2nd Place - Dr. Marcel Clemens

Verona, Veneto, Italy

"Electrical arc between a pin and a wire."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

47points

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

looks like a ufo sending a beam down while electrocuting the ground

9points

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#12

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

POST

Sara Frazer 3 weeks ago

Aww you can see the lil bebes!

19points

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#13

Honorable Mention - Randy Fullbright

Vernal, Utah, USA

"Agatized dinosaur bone."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

47points

POST

Atom Bohr 3 weeks ago

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

4points

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#14

Honorable Mention - Jochen Stern

Mannheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany

"Golden bug eggs on a sage leaf."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

46points

POST

MellonCollie 3 weeks ago

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.

11points

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#15

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

POST

FROGLET 3 weeks ago

NOPE, NOPE, NOPE ON A ROPE

16points

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#16

Image Of Distinction - Thomas Neumann

Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

"Ink dot on Japanese washi paper."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

42points

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

Looks like it’s going through veins

7points

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#17

6th Place - Henri Koskinen

Helsinki University
Helsinki, Uudenmaan lääni, Finland

"Slime mold (Cribraria cancellata)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

41points

POST

Camber Hollywood 3 weeks ago

cancellata culture is everywhere!

10points

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#18

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

POST

BeefCowJr 3 weeks ago (edited)

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

2points

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#19

7th Place - Gerhard Vlcek

Maria Enzersdorf, Austria

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

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

40points

POST

ABC no seven FCK CENSORING 3 weeks ago

I love those happy little skulls xD

12points

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#20

Honorable Mention - Daniel Evrard

Aywaille, Liege, Belgium

"Vinyl player needle on scratched vinyl disk."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

40points

POST

ABC no seven FCK CENSORING 3 weeks ago

"scratched" as in damaged? I'd like to see how that looks with a pristine vinyl.

7points

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#21

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

POST

David 3 weeks ago

Those videos on youtube where the tumbleweeds are out of control

3points

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#22

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Saikat Ghosh

National Institutes of Health
NICHD
Bethesda, Maryland, USA

"Human neurons."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

38points

POST

UncleJohn3000 3 weeks ago

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

16points

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#23

Image Of Distinction - Joshua Coogler

Dallas, North Carolina, USA

"Moss sporophyte with spores (green)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Kraneia The Dancing Dryad 3 weeks ago

Dallas NC is just NW of Charlotte, if anyone is wondering. ;)

4points

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#24

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

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

Cool

5points

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#25

11th Place - Dr. Ferenc Halmos

Bánd, Veszprém, Hungary

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

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Robyn Picknell 3 weeks ago

Looks like a very messed up frog head.

3points

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#26

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany

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

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

36points

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

I had to look it up. hedychrum_...647426.jpg

16points

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#27

Image Of Distinction - Jacek Myslowski

Wloclawek, Kujawko-Pomorskie, Poland

"Water mite (Arrenurus)."

Nikon Small World Report

Final score:

34points

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

It looks like it’s hugging itself.

13points

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#28

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

POST

Jay Scales 3 weeks ago

2 pregnant ladies having a chat?

13points

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#29

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

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

wow!

5points

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#30

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

POST

MyName'sLisaMontoyaYouKiltMyPa 3 weeks ago

That is pretty.

5points

reply

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

30 Mind-Blowing Microscopic Images From The 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest

Image Of Distinction - Zhang Chao

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

12th Place - Daniel Knop

Image Of Distinction - Timothy Boomer

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Håkan Kvarnström

Honorable Mention - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

3rd Place - Chris Romaine

Image Of Distinction - Uwe Lange

Image Of Distinction - Ted Kinsman

13th Place - Paweł Błachowicz

2nd Place - Dr. Marcel Clemens

5th Place - Thomas Barlow And Connor Gibbons

Honorable Mention - Randy Fullbright

Honorable Mention - Jochen Stern

Honorable Mention - Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert

Image Of Distinction - Thomas Neumann

6th Place - Henri Koskinen

Image Of Distinction - Elkhan Yusifov And Dr. Martina Schaettin

7th Place - Gerhard Vlcek

Honorable Mention - Daniel Evrard

9th Place - John-Oliver Dum

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Saikat Ghosh

Image Of Distinction - Joshua Coogler

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

11th Place - Dr. Ferenc Halmos

Image Of Distinction - Daniel Knop

Image Of Distinction - Jacek Myslowski

16th Place - Marek Miś

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz

Image Of Distinction - Dr. Robert Markus

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