Nature Abstracted

The 37th annual Nikon Small World competition's theme was “Recognizing Excellence in Photography through the Microscope.” Some of the outstanding entries:



Mosquito Larvae in a drop of water
Dr. John H. Brackenbury
University of Cambridge
Cambridge, UK
Laser-triggered high-speed macrophotography





Fish Louse (Argulus) (60x)
Wim van Egmond
Micropolitan Museum
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Darkfield





Giant Water Flea Eye (Leptodora kindtii)
Wim van Egmond
Micropolitan Museum
Rotterdam, Netherlands 
Differential Interference Contrast





Stamen - Pavonia x gledhillii (Brazilian candles) stamens (20x)
Viktor Sykora
Institute of Pathophysiology, Prague, Czech Republic
Darkfield





Sugar Cane Root cross section (20x)
Debora Leite
University of São Paulo, Brazil
Brightfield




Jumping spider eyes - anterior lateral and median (16x)
Walter Piorkowski
South Beloit, Illinois, USA
Reflected light





Agatized dinosaur bone cells, unpolished, ca. 150 million years old (42x)
Douglas Moore
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Stereomicroscopy, fiber optics





Alona (a crustacean) mounted in Canada Balsam with crystals and other artifacts
Dr. Carlos Alberto Muñoz
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 
Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast






Graphite-bearing granulite from Kerala, India (2.5x)
Dr. Bernardo Cesare
Department of Geosciences
University of Padua, Padova, Italy
Polarized light microscope






Parasitic Nematode (Ascaris), female (150x)
Massimo Brizzi
Microcosmo Italia
Empoli, Firenze, Italy
Darkfield

Algae Magnified - Spirogyra sp. (green algae) filaments (25x)
Marek Mis
Suwalki, Poland
Polarized light




Butterfly tongue (720x)
Stephen S. Nagy, M.D.
Montana Diatoms
Helena, Montana, USA
Polarized light, brightfield





Crystallized mixture of carbon tetrabromide, resorcinal, and sulphur (25x)
Dr. John Hart
Hart3D Films and Dept. Atmospheric and Oceanic Sci. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder
Transmitted Polarized Light





Lobe Coral, live tissue pigmentation response with red fluorescence (12x)
James H. Nicholson
Coral Culture and Collaborative Research Facility
Charleston, South Carolina
Epifluorescence with triple band (U/B/G) excitation





Butterfly egg - Vanessa atalanta (Red admiral butterfly) egg in Stinging nettle trichomes (10x)
David Millard
Austin, Texas, USA
Diffuse Incident Illumination





Liverwort - Intrinsic fluorescence in Lepidozia reptans (liverwort) (20x)
Dr. Robin Young
The University of British Columbia
Live mount, Confocal microscopy





Chicken Embryo - Chick embryo intestine (20x)
Poulomi Ray
Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University
Confocal





HeLa (cancer) cells (300x)
Thomas Deerinck
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, USA
2-Photon fluorescence





Freshwater Ciliates (Trichodina pediculus), ventral view, living specimens (1000x)
Gerd A. Guenther
Duesseldorf, Germany
Differential interference contrast -






Leucite crystal from volcanic rock showing polysynthetic lamellar twins formed by the cubic- tetrago (40x)
Dr. Michael M. Raith
Steinmann Institut, University of Bonn, Germany
Transmitted polarized light, crossed polarization





Microchip surface magnified, 3D reconstruction (500x)
Alfred Pasieka
Hilden, Germany
Incident light, Normarski Interference Contrast



Nikon's Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For over 30 years, Nikon has rewarded the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science. Next year's competition deadline is April 30, 2012.


All images via Nikon www.nikonsmallworld.com



 

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Sharon
Posts: 3

Simply amazing, that is...
Reply #3 on : Mon December 12, 2011, 09:38:14

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I meant .. simply amazing... definitely not simple.

Sharon
Posts: 3

Re: Nikon Small World Competition 2011
Reply #2 on : Mon December 12, 2011, 09:36:18

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There is so much of life that we miss. Thanks for this illuminating photo collection. I love the wonder it brings to mind! The butterfly tongue is simple amazing. I'm inspired.

January
Posts: 3

dbEwGIKbsBRwO
Reply #1 on : Sat October 15, 2011, 01:11:03

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Life is short, and this aritcle saved valuable time on this Earth.