Sarah Kuta

Daily Correspondent

Microscopes make the invisible visible, revealing the tiny, hidden details of nature that we can’t see with the naked eye.

These miniature scenes can be beautiful, too, as the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition has demonstrated for the last five decades. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the highly specialized contest, which recognizes the best images captured using microscopes and digital imaging techniques.

“Sometimes, we overlook the tiny details of the world around us,” says Eric Flem, a spokesman for Nikon Instruments, in a statement. “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.”

A panel of six judges reviewed roughly 2,100 submissions from 80 countries. They narrowed down the entries to 20 winners, plus 12 honorable mentions and 55 images of distinction. The recognized photographers, announced last week, include professionals and hobbyists.

This year’s winning image featured differentiated mouse brain tumor cells captured by Bruno Cisterna with help from Eric Vitriol. With their photograph, the two neuroscientists at Augusta University showed how disturbances to the structural framework of a cell, known as its cytoskeleton, can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Green and pink blobs against black background
Differentiated mouse brain tumor cells are helping researchers understand diseases like Alzheimer's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Bruno Cisterna and Eric Vitriol / Nikon Small World

Cisterna, Vitriol and their colleagues recently published a paper in the Journal of Cell Biology about a protein called profilin 1 (PFN1), which helps maintain “microtubule highways” in the cytoskeleton that transport materials. When PFN1 gets disrupted, the highways can malfunction, potentially leading to cellular damage.

The two men also won the 20th-place prize for a photo of mouse cancer cell differentiation.

“One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don’t fully understand what causes them,” Cisterna says in the statement. “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.”

Second place went to Marcel Clemens, an astrophysicist and photographer based in Verona, Italy, for his photo of an electrical arc between a pin and a wire.

Purple and blue light between two objects
An electrical arc stretches between a pin and a wire. Marcel Clemens / Nikon Small World
purple bubble-like items on stalks
A close-up of a leaf on a cannabis plant features bubble-like structures called trichomes, which are thought to serve a defensive purpose. Chris Romaine / Nikon Small World

Chris Romaine, a photographer in Port Townsend, Washington, was awarded third place for his photo of a cannabis leaf. Another of Romaine’s photos—also a close-up of a cannabis leaf—was named an image of distinction.

From octopus eggs to black truffle spores, here’s a snapshot of some of the best photos from this year’s Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

Small eyeballs in green skin
The green crab spider (Diaea dorsata)—named for its long front legs that resemble crab claws and its ability to walk forward, backward and sideways—has eight eyes placed on top of its head. Paweł Błachowicz / Nikon Small World
Insect with long snout
Palm weevils have a snout-like structure called a rostrum protruding from their heads. Sherif Abdallah Ahmed / Nikon Small World
Pointy object touches black ridges
The needle of a vinyl player touches a scratched vinyl disk. Daniel Evrard / Nikon Small World
Small colorful brine shrimp
Brine shrimp are tiny crustaceans that serve as a source of food for birds, fish and insects. Christopher Algar / Nikon Small World
Sharp pointy object with iridescent colors on it
Have you ever wondered what a house cat's claw looks like under a microscope? Ted Kinsman / Nikon Small World
Close-up shot of spore-producing moss plant
Spores, shown in green, cover a moss sporophyte. Joshua Coogler / Nikon Small World
Black and white photo of pointy objects
Leaves arise from meristem tissue of a thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plant, which belongs to the mustard family. Leo Serra / Nikon Small World
Tall pink structures next to each other
A hibiscus flower (Hibiscus moscheutos) opens to expose its pollen in four phases, each captured ten minutes apart. Daniel Knop / Nikon Small World
Blue squares on a pointy structure
A large Ulysses butterfly's (Papilio ulysses) wing scales balance on a medical syringe needle. Daniel Knop / Nikon Small World
Black and yellow figure
Between the compound eyes of a yellow jacket are ocelli, or light-detecting organs with a single lens each, that complement the insect's visual system. Bruce Douglas Taubert / Nikon Small World
Greenish object with bumps
A male orchid bee uses its mid-tibial tuft, shown here in detail, to attract mates. Bruce Douglas Taubert / Nikon Small World

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Sarah Kuta

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.