According to the report from the foreign media, Nikon,the giant of microscope in the world, select the best microscope pictures in every year, and the sources of the pictures are come from institutes and photographing agents.
Nikon's small world contest started from 1974 with a goal for encouraging and praising the photography fans to use microscopy to let us see the small world which can not be observed in daily life. The contest has no restriction which allows any fans to participate in it. The first, second and third winners in the contest can be awarded $3000, 2000 and 1000 as bonuses, respectively, While the honorable mention winner can get a opportunity to develop a 16×20 film. However, this is less important than letting us believe that there also exists beautiful things in the small world and the things around us have being existed and kept their beautiful styles for decade of years or even thousands of years...The following is the top 20 microscopy images won in the contest in 2007.
First Prize mouse embryo, 18.5 days
Author: Gloria Kwon
Working place: Memorial Sloan-Kettering institute
Image: Double transgenic mouse embryo, 18.5 days (17x)
Second Prize Zebrafish embryo midbrain and diencephalon
Author: Michael Hendricks
Working place: Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory
National University of Singapore
Kent Ridge, Singapore
Image: Zebrafish embryo midbrain and diencephalon(20X)
Third Prize Testudinella Sp. (400X)
Author: Wim van Egmond
Working place: Micropolitan Museum
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Image: Testudinella Sp. (400X)
Fourth Prize Marine diatoms attached to Polysiphonia alga
Author: Charles Krebs
Working place: Charles Krebs Photography
Issaquah, Washington, USA
Image: Marine diatoms attached to Polysiphonia alga (100X)
Fifth Prize Sea water with mixed zooplankton
Author: Peter Parks
Working place:Imagequestmarine.com, Oxford University, UK
Image: Sea water with mixed zooplankton and needle eye(20X)
Sixth Prize Hydrophilidae sp.(water scavenger beetle) larva
Author: Charles Krebs
Working place: Charles Krebs Photography
Issaquah, Washington, USA
Image: Hydrophilidae sp.(water scavenger beetle) larva(100X)
Seventh Prize Xenopus embryos
Author: Michael Klymkowsky
Working place: MCD Biology
University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, Colorado, USA
Image: Xenopus embryos (20X)
Eighth Prize Erpobdella octoculata(freshwater leech)
Author: Vera Hunnekuhl
Woeking place:Department of Zoology
University of Osnabrück
Osnabrück, Germany
Image: Erpobdella octoculata(freshwater leech)(25X)
Ninth Prize Papaver subpiriforme (corn poppies) flower bud
Author: Shamuel Silberman
Working place: Ramat Gan, Israel
Image: Papaver subpiriforme (corn poppies) flower bud (20X)
Tenth Prize Section of diseased ivory
Author: Dr. Stephen Nagy
Working place: Montana Diatoms
Helena, Montana, USA
Image: Section of diseased ivory (15X)
Eleventh Prize Mirabilis jalapa stamen and pollen
Author: Dr. Robert Markus
Working place: Institute of Genetics
Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Szeged, Hungary
Image: Mirabilis jalapa stamen and pollen (125X)
Twelfth Prize Ophryotrocha diadema (polychaete) embryo
Author: Annette Bergter
Working place:Department of Zoology
Univsersity of Osnabrück
Osnabrück, Germany
Image: Ophryotrocha diadema (polychaete) embryo (25X)
Thirteenth Prize Patella Vulgaris (limpet) rasping tongue (20X)
Author: Dr. Stephen Lowry
Working place: School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Ulster
Londonderry, UK
Image: Patella Vulgaris (limpet) rasping tongue (20X)
Fourteenth Prize Cedrus atlantica (cedar leaf) crossnut (200X)
Author: Christian Gautier
Working place:Avignon Photo Agency, France
Image: Cedrus atlantica (cedar leaf) crossnut (200X)
Fifteenth Prize Trematode sp. Author: Rodrigo Mexas
Working place:Oswaldo Cruz Foundantion
Dio de Jeneiro, Brazil
Image: Trematode sp. (400X)
Sixteenth Prize Mimetidae sp. (Spider) egg case
Author: Steven Valley
Working place: Oregon Department of Agriculture, Plant Division
Albany, Oregon, USA
Image: Mimetidae sp. (Spider) egg case (30X)
Seventeenth Prize elethemis eponina (Halloween Pennant dragonfly)(1X)
Author:Dr. Jeffery BOwen
Working place:Department of Biological Sciences
Bridgewater State College
East Taunton, Massachusetts, USA
Image: elethemis eponina (Halloween Pennant dragonfly)(1X)
Eighteenth Prize Amisega floridensis (parasitic wasp) (9X)
Author: Klaus Bolte
Working place: Natural Resources Canada
Stittsville, Canada
Image: Amisega floridensis (parasitic wasp) (9X)
Nineteenth Prize Epliobium Parviflorum (small-flowered willowherb) seeds
Author: Viktor Sykora
Working place: Institute of Pathophysiology
Charles University
Hyskov, Czech Republic
Image: Epliobium Parviflorum (small-flowered willowherb) seeds (10X)
Twentieth Prize Clione sp. (Planktonic mollusc) larva
Author: Dr. Matthew Hooge
Working place: The University of Maine
Portland Maine, USA
Image: Clione sp. (Planktonic mollusc) larva (40X)
So,did you find your eye opening?Although we haven't seen the original form of the species, it is not essential for the contest. The importance is that these imags shows the creatures in the world have their beautiful and mysterious side. Open your eyes wide to find their beauty without despising them.