What you see here is not slime, or jelly. It is a picture of a close-up of a drop of water on the surface of the water surface of the algae colonies, which Jan Rosenboom, a chemical engineer from Germany, captured using a simple light.
Rosenboom’s photo was the runner-up for Nikon’s annual photomicrography competition, held by the company to honor the work of microscopes in science. Every year, professional scientists and casual enthusiasts alike rise to the occasion, sharing mind-blowing summaries of familiar objects seen from new angles. (Our own Ed Cara was a judge for this contest in 2023.)
This year’s winners range from the closeness of mobile networks and worlds hidden within the untamed mushrooms of hidden diseases you may not have known about. You can check out the full list here, but we’ve selected some of our favorites for your viewing pleasure.
Red fungal colors
Fungi may be some of the most unsightly creatures on earth, but PhotoMicrography shows just how good they can be. WIM van Egmond from the Micropolitan Museum in the Netherlands is placed in the competition for his amazing close-up of red, used molds Talaromyeces purpureogenusa distant relative of penicillin production Penicillium.
Fluonescece marked rat colony
Mice play a major role in scientific research. This image of a mouse colon taken by researchers at the Friedrich Mescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Switzerland used Microscopy that allows cells to study the cells.
Heart cells at work
You don’t have to be an expert to know that the cellular networks inside our bodies work diligently to ensure that everything is working properly. James Hayes of Vanderbilt University carried cardiac muscle cells with chromosomes that allow mutations after cell division.
A galaxy inside your head
Sometimes, images of the microscopic world betray first impressions. Although this image is very similar to a black hole, the subject of the image, taken by Stella Whittaker of the NIH, is an IPSC-detected nerve impulse, labeled to show two proteins, Tubulin and Actin. Whittaker used a combination of microscopy techniques for this shocking image.
Parasite larvae
Filariasis refers to a joint infection caused by the pictured specimen, the filarial nematode parasite. Heatstroke causes painful cracks, dysfunctional cells, and blindness. Compare, however, it sure looks threatening.
Pollen is held in a web
Nature is full of fragile but surprisingly strong structures – as represented by this amazing photo of pollen grains literally in a spider’s thread of a spider’s web. John-Oliver Dum from Mavany RedienBunker Produmtion won third place for his photo, a combination of multiple shots that are fully integrated.
A three-way deal?
Then again, nature can also really get character, and zooming in too much makes it even clearer. Igor Robert Siwanowicez of the Howard Hughers Instand Instautute held the bone marrow of the pollen saying “to grow in shame while looking at the interrelationships,” showing the microscopic interrelationships in the world.
Rice Weevil in rice drying
Last but certainly not least, the winner of this competition captured a rare moment of a rice weevil spreading its wings while being stuffed with a single grain of rice. This image, this year’s winner, is actually a combination of more than 100 images that have been stitched together, cleaned, and processed in the background to increase clarity and impact.
Zhang You, an Entomologist from China, said in his winning statement that the photo is “a product of time … spent on scientific photography, as well as teaching others about Entomology.”
