Rangefinder Magazine
December 2006

Nikon’s Small World by Editorial Staff
Photomicrography Competition

1st Prize Dr. Paul L. Appleton, Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK; Cell nuclei of the mouse colon (740X); 2-Photon fluorescence

The winning image in Nikon’s Small World Competition emerges from blackness to reveal the delicate blue pebbly texture of the cell nuclei of a mouse colon as seen through the microscope. This winning image is the work of Dr. Paul Appleton, a researcher from the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Dundee in the UK.

2nd Prize Raul M. Gonzalez, Raul Gonzalez Estudio, Mexico City, Mexico; Nostoc cyanobacteria and diploneis diatom (100X); brightfield	3rd Prize Jens Rüchel, Department of Zoology University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany; Spirorbis sp. (aquatic worm) (100X); confocal

Dr. Appleton’s image was selected on the basis of originality, informational content, technical proficiency and visual impact. His research is designed to further our understanding of how cellular changes are regulated and how changes in normal cellular processes contribute to the development of colon cancer.

4th Prize Charles J. Kazilek, The Paper Project / W.M. Keck Bioimaging Laboratory, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ; Lomandra longifolia (Spiny-headed mat rush) (100X); confocal (3-laser)	5th Prize Dr. Heiti Paves, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia; Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plant (10X); fluorescence

“Nikon’s Small World gives us a glimpse into a world that few people ever see,” says Lee Shuett, executive vice president, Nikon Instruments. “With today’s digital imaging capability, we can see not only the smallest objects, but we can also study how different objects interact and change over time. Never before in human history have we had this powerful imaging capability to see and analyze so much information about human biology.”

6th Prize Thomas J. Deerinck, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA; Rat retina astrocytes and blood vessels (160X); fluorescence and confocal	7th Prize Viktor Sykora, Institute of Pathophysiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Seed of a Clematis vitalba shrub (also known as Traveller’s Joy and Old Man’s Beard) (2X); darkfield

“Digital microscopy generates tremendous amounts of quantitative information that is used to measure changes in normal cells,” says Dr. Appleton. “This imaging capability makes an enormous difference in the amount and quality of the information we are able to collect and analyze.” Appleton’s research represents two new fields of science called Genomics and Bioinformatics. Genomics is the study of the flow of information in a cell, while Bioinformatics is the application of computing to make sense of the huge amount of data coming from Genomics.

8th Prize Dr. Carlos A. Munoz, Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico; Fluorescing filamentous green alga (60X); confocal	9th Prize Charles B. Krebs, Charles Krebs Photography, Issaquah, WA; Wing scales of a Urania ripheus (Sunset Moth) (6.25X); reflected light

Founded in 1974 to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope, Nikon’s Small World competition is the leading forum for celebrating the beauty and complexity of objects seen through the light microscope. The complete gallery of winning photomicrographs began to tour science and art museums across the nation beginning in October.

10th Prize Melissa K. Santala, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA; Two m-plane sapphire substrates (100X); darkfield	11th Prize Alex H. Griman, Alex Kawazaki Photography, São Paulo, Brazil; Pupil of a Macrobrachium amazonicum (freshwater shrimp) (20X); stereomicroscopy

The top three images include Dr. Paul Appleton’s image of a mouse colon, Raul Galzalez’s image of aquatic bacteria (above, this page) photographed next to a diatom (a common phytoplankton that generates its energy through photosynthesis), and Jens Rüchel’s photomicrograph of an aquatic worm (top right, page 39), which lives in shallow coastal regions.

“Each one of these photomicrographs awakens our sense of discovery,” says Eric Flem, communications manager, Nikon Instruments. “These images show us that another world exists just beyond our perceptible vision. It’s a world that connects us to everything around us—seen and unseen.”

12th Prize Annette Bergter, Department of Zoology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany; Seven-day old Enchytraeus coronatus (annelid worm) embryo (250X); confocal

Nikon has also awarded several “Images of Distinction” this year. These awards are granted to outstanding photomicrographs submitted by Small World contestants whose images demonstrate superior technical competency and artistic skill. Each year, Nikon makes the winning images accessible to the public through the Nikon Small World calendar, a national museum tour, and an electronic gallery featured at www. nikonsmallworld.com. Images submitted by Nikon Small World winners were selected from over 1700 photomicrographs sent to Nikon by scientists and artists from around the globe and judged by a panel of experts.

The 2006 Nikon Small World panel of judges included: Sir Harold W. Kroto, 1996 Nobel Laureate in chemistry for his discovery of fullerenes (aka buckyballs), which has opened up a new field of carbon chemistry; Cristina Scalet, science photo editor for Time magazine; Vladimir Gelfand, professor of cell and molecular biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; JD Talasek, director of the Office of Exhibitions and Cultural Programs, National Academy of Sciences; and, judges’ consultant Michael Davidson, senior research engineer, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University.