A groundbreaking image of mouse brain tumor cells took top honors at the Nikon Small World Competition 2024. At first glance, the image (seen below) may look like a science fiction plant structure, but it is actually the actin, microtubules and nuclei of the cells. “This image shows how disruptions in the cell’s cytoskeleton – the structural framework and ‘highways’ known as microtubules – can lead to diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and ALS,” press release explains.
The photo was taken by Dr. Bruno Cisterna, with help from Dr. Eric Vitriol. Capturing the image required a significant amount of patience for the research scientists at Augusta University. “I spent about three months perfecting the staining process to ensure clear visibility of the cells,” Cisterna said. “After giving the cells five days to differentiate, I had to find the right field of view where the differentiated and undifferentiated cells interacted. This took about three hours of careful observation under the microscope to capture the right moment, which involved many attempts. and countless hours of work to get it just right.”
1st place. Differentiated mouse brain tumor cells (actin, microtubules and nuclei). Credit: Dr. Bruno Cisterna & Dr. Eric Vitriol / Nikon Small World
The Nikon Small World Competition will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024 with more than 2,100 entries from 80 countries. Organizers call the awards the “leading forum for recognizing the art, skill and photographic excellence involved in micrography.”
(Click on images to expand to magnify their beauty.)
11th place. Slime mold on a rotten twig with water droplets. Credit: Dr. Ferenc Halmos / Nikon Small World 
Honorable mention. Autofluorescence in the face of a small two-spot ladybird (Diomus notescens). Credit: Angus Rae / Nikon Small World 
Honorable mention. Brine shrimp. Credit: Christopher Algar/Nikon Small World 
Honorable mention. Cross section of the rachis (stem) of fern fern (Pteridium aquilinum). Credit: Dr. David Maitland / Nikon Small World David Maitland 
5th place. Cluster of octopus (Octopus hummelincki) eggs. Credit: Thomas Barlow & Connor Gibbons / Nikon Small World
2nd place. Electric arc between a pin and a wire. Credit: Dr. Marcel Clemens / Nikon Small World 
7th place. Cross section of the leaf of European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria). Credit: Gerhard Vlcek / Nikon Small World
6th place. Cribraria cancellata, also known as Dictydium cancellatum, slime mold from Finland. Credit: Henri Koskinen / Nikon Small World 
19th place. Seed of a Silene plant. Credit: Alison Pollack/Nikon Small World Alison K. Pollack 
16th place. Two water fleas (Daphnia sp.) with embryos (left) and eggs (right). Credit: Marek Miś / Nikon Small World
13th place. Eyes of green crab spider (Diaea dorsata). Credit: Paweł Błachowicz / Nikon Small World 
Image of distinction. Ladybug (Coccinellidae) on a clover (Trifolium repens). Credit: Dr. Marko Pende / Nikon Small World 
Image of distinction. Prototrichia metallica, exceptionally living fruiting body of slime mold. Credit: Timothy Boomer / Nikon Small World Timothy Boomer 
Image of distinction. Anterior part of palm weevil. Credit: Dr. Sherif Abdallah Ahmed / Nikon Small World
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