- 53 stunning photos from The Nature Conservancy global photo contests 57 stunning photos from the National Sony World Photography Awards 37 amazing photos from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards
1975: James Dvorak, USA
- Subject Matter: Oxalic acid crystals during Precipitation Magnification: 100x Technique: Transmitted Polarized Light with a Berek Quartz Wedge
1976: Eric V. Gravé, New York, USA
- Subject Matter: Encysted Parasitic round worm (trichinella spirals) Magnification: 50x Technique: Differential Interference Contrast
James W. Smith, Independence, Ohio, USA
The 1977 winner of the Small World Competition used DIC to produce this image of a 305 times magnified look at Crystals of rutile and tridymite.
- Subject Matter: Crystals of rutile (titanium dioxide) and tridymite (a polymorph of quartz) in a cobalt-rich glass Magnification: 350x Technique: Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast
1978: David Gnizak, Independence, Ohio, USA
This one shows vaporised gold shown at 55 times magnification. An impressive view of a precious metal.
- Subject Matter: Gold, vaporized in a tungsten boat, in a vacuum evaporator Magnification: 55x Technique: Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast
1979: Paul W. Johnson, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
This curious view shows a atalked protozoan attached to a filamentous green algae with bacteria on its surface.
- Subject Matter: Stalked protozoan attached to a filamentous green algae with bacteria on its surface Magnification: 160x Technique: Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast
1980: James M. King, UC Santa Barbara, Marine Science Institute, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Subject Matter: Larvacean within its feeding structure dyed with red organic carmine which the larvacean syphoned in while filter feeding Magnification: 20x Technique: Underwater camera with multiple extension tubes
1981: David Gnizak, Ferro Corporation Research Center, Independence, Ohio, USA
David Gnizak produced this incredible award-winning image of collapsed bubbles from an annealed experimental electronic sealing glass back in 1981.
- Subject Matter: Collapsed bubbles from an annealed experimental electronic sealing glass Magnification: 55x Technique: Reflected Light, Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast
1982: Dr. Jonathan Eisenback, North Carolina State University, Department of Plant Pathology, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Subject Matter:: Silverberry scaly hair whole mount Magnification: 400x Technique:: Brightfield
1983: Elieen Roux, Bob Hope International Heart Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
Darkfield microscopy is a method used to create contrast in unstained samples. The resulting images have a bright sample and an incredibly dark background.
- Subject Matter: Suctorian attached to stalk of red algae, encircled by ring of diatoms Magnification: 125x Technique: Darkfield
1984: John I. Koivula, Gemological Institute of America, Carlsbad, California, USA
- Subject Matter: Inclusions of goethite and hematite in Brazilian agate Magnification: 30x Technique: Transmitted Light with Reflected Fiber-optic Illumination
1985: Dr. Jonathan Eisenback, North Carolina State University, Department of Plant Pathology, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- Subject Matter: Formalin-fixed whole mount of a spiral nematode, multiple exposure Magnification: 160x Technique: Darkfield
1986: Dr. Stephen Lowry, University of Ulster, Department of Biology, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Here a type of fresh-water organism is seen capturing a Daphina pulex, the most common species of water flea, found in the America, Europe and Australia.
- Subject Matter: Live water mount of Hydra viridissima capturing Daphnia pulex Magnification: 10x Technique: Darkfield
1987: Julie Macklin & Dr. Graeme Laver, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Here’s a curious 14x magnified view of viral neuraminidase. Found on the surface of the influenza virus,
- Subject Matter: Crystals of influenza virus neuraminidase isolated from terns Magnification: 14x Technique: Brightfield with Coloured Filters
1988: David A. Smith Victoria Point, Queensland, Australia
- Subject Matter: Gold residue and gold-coated bubbles in glassy matrix Magnification: 20x Technique: Brightfield
1989: Marc Van Hove, Centexbel, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
- Subject Matter: Multiple exposure of a knitting machine needle Magnification: 10x Technique: Brightfield We bet if you tried guessing what a knitting machine needle would look like when put under a microscope you’d never imagine it would produce an image like this. If we weren’t told what the subject was, it probably would have taken us some time to realise what it was.
1990: Richard H. Lee, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, USA
No, that’s not a fish that’s been put under the microscope, just polarised light reacting to the crystals.
- Subject Matter: Crystals evaporated from solution of magnesium sulfate and tartaric acid Magnification: 50x Technique: Polarised Light
1991: Marc Van Hove, Centexbel, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
1991’s winner showed a a 25x magnified image of an elastic fiber; a simple subject and a simple method, but a very artistic image as a result.
- Subject Matter: Polyurethane elastic fiber bundle Magnification: 25x Technique: Polarised Light
1992: Lars Bech, Deurne, The Netherlands
This one shows a 35 times magnified view of a 10-year old preparation of barbital, fenacetine, valium and acetic acid
- Subject Matter: 10-year old preparation of barbital, fenacetine, valium and acetic acid Magnification: 35x Technique: Polarised Light
1993: Ron Sturm, Construction Technology Laboratories, Inc. Skokie, Illinois, USA
- Subject Matter: Fossil Fusulinids in limestone Magnification: 8x Technique: Polarised Light
1994: Jean Rüegger-Deschenaux, Mikroskopische Gesellschaft, Zurich, Switzerland
- Subject Matter: Cross-section of very young beech Magnification: 40x Technique: Brightfield
1995: Christian Gautier, JACANA Press Agency, Vanves, France
- Subject Matter: Larva of Pleuronectidae Magnification: 20x Technique: Rheinberg Illumination and Polarised Light
1996: Lars Bech, Naarden, The Netherlands
This award winner is a 80x magnified view of a chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer. Incredible how it looks like abstract art.
- Subject Matter: Doxorubin in methanol and dimethylbenzenesulfonic acid Magnification: 80x Technique: Polarised Light
1997: Barbara Danowski, Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA
- Subject Matter: Mouse fibroblasts Magnification: 160x Technique: Fluorescence
1998: Jakob Zbaeren, Insel Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
This is an incredible view of the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. Amazing photos you’d never normally see.
- Subject Matter: Endothelial cells Magnification: 100x Technique: Fluorescence, double exposure
1999: Alexey Khodjakov, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
- Subject Matter: Newt lung cell in mitosis (5 different structures) Magnification: 240x Technique: Fluorescence
2000: Daphne Zbaeren-Colbourn, Bern, Switzerland
- Subject Matter: Avicennia marina (mangrove) leaf Magnification: 40x Technique: Fluorescence and Differential Interference Contrast
2001: Harold Taylor, Kensworth, United Kingdom
This microscopic photography lets you see things like you’d never otherwise witness. Like this freshwater Rotifer which is usually just 0.1 - 0.5mm long,
- Subject Matter: Fresh water rotifer feeding among debris Magnification: 200x Technique: Darkfield
2002: Thomas J. Deerinck, University of California, San Diego, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, La Jolla, California, USA
We bet you’d never have guessed that you’re looking at a rat cerebellum here.
Captured using fluorescence and confocal imaging techniques
- Subject Matter: Sagittal section of rat cerebellum Magnification: 40x Technique: Fluorescence and Confocal
2003: Dr. Torsten Wittmann, The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, California, USA
- Subject Matter: Filamentous actin and microtubules (structural proteins) in mouse fibroblasts (cells) Magnification: 1000x Technique: Fluorescence
2004: Seth A. Coe-Sullivan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
A silicon substrate is a thin, solid layer onto which another substance is applied, in this case quantum dot nanocrystals.
- Subject Matter: Quantum dot nanocrystals deposited on a silicon substrate Magnification: 200x Technique: Polarised Reflected Light
2005: Charles B. Krebs, Charles Krebs Photography, Issaquah, Washington, USA
This extreme close up of a common house fly looks like it could have been created using Photoshop.
- Subject Matter: Muscoid fly (house fly) Magnification: 6.25x Technique: Reflected Light
2006: Dr. Paul Appleton, University of Dundee, Division of Cell and Developmental Biology, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
This 740x close up image of a cell nuclei of a mouse colon has been taken using a 2-Photon imaging process. This
- Subject Matter: Cell nuclei of the mouse colon Magnification: 740x Technique: 2-Photon fluorescence
2007: Gloria Kwon, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute, New York City, New York, USA
This image shows a genetically modified mouse embryo that was being used for medical research.
- Subject Matter: Double transgenic mouse embryo, 18.5 days Magnification: 17x Technique: Brightfield, Darkfield, Fluorescence (GFP and RFP)
2008: Michael J. Stringer, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom
- Subject Matter: Pleurosigma (marine diatoms) Magnification: 200x Technique: Darkfield, Polarised Light
2009: Dr. Heiti Paves, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
This 20x magnification shows a close up look at a common weed.
- Subject Matter: Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) anther Magnification: 20x Technique: Confocal
2010: Jonas King, Vanderbilt University, Department of Biological Sciences, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Subject Matter: Anopheles gambiae (mosquito) heart Magnification: 100x Technique: Fluorescence
2011: Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany
This 2011 winning image uses confocal imaging to show the intricate details that make up an invertebrate’s inner structure.
- Subject Matter: Portrait of a Chrysopa sp. (green lacewing) larva Magnification: 20x Technique: Confocal
2012: Dr. Jennifer L. Peters & Dr. Michael R. Taylor, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Subject Matter: The blood-brain barrier in a live zebrafish embryo Magnification: 20x Technique: Confocal
2013: Wim van Egmond, Micropolitan Museum, Berkel en Rodenrijs, The Netherlands
Wim van Egmond had to employ an image stacking technique in order to show all the various structural elements of this particular plankton organism.
- Subject Matter: Chaetoceros debilis (marine diatom), a colonial plankton organism Magnification: 250x Technique: Differential Interference Contrast, Image Stacking
2014: Rogelio Moreno Gill, Panama, Panama
A second award-winning image of a rotifer. Rogelio Moreno Gill has photographed the interior of the mouth and the heart-shaped corona to win the award in 2014.
- Subject Matter: Rotifer showing the mouth interior and heart shaped corona Magnification: 40x Technique: Differential Interference Contrast
2015: Ralph Grimm, Jimboomba, Queensland, Australia
- Subject Matter: Eye of a honey bee (Apis mellifera) covered in dandelion pollen Magnification: 120x Technique: Reflected Light
2016: Dr. Oscar Ruiz, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
Dr. Oscar Ruiz won the Small World competition with this confocal image of a four-day-old zebrafish embryo.
- Subject Matter: Four-day-old zebrafish embryo Magnification: 10x Technique: Confocal
2017: Dr. Bram van den Broek et al, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, BioImaging Facility & Department of Cell Biology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The subject? Human skin, but with an excessive amount of keratin (shown in yellow), which is an important structural protein in the skin cell.
- Subject Matter: Immortalized human skin cells (HaCaT keratinocytes) expressing fluorescently tagged keratin Magnification: 40x (objective lens magnification) Technique: Confocal
2018: Yousef Al Habshi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Subject Matter: The Eye of a beetle Magnification: 20x (objective lens magnification) Technique: Reflected Light
2019: Teresa Zgoda, Teresa Kugler
This winner from 2019 is the result of a compilation of hundreds of images put together to form the final result. An amazing view of a turtle embryo.
- Subject Matter: A turtle embryo Magnification: 5x (objective lens magnification) Technique: Stereomicroscopy, Fluorescence
2020: Daniel Castranova, Dr. Brant M. Weinstein, Bakary Samasa, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Subject Matter: A zebrafish Magnification: 4x (objective lens magnification) Technique: Confocal
2021: Jason Kirk, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, Texas, USA
- Subject Matter: Trichome and stomata of southern live oak leaf Magnification: 60X (Objective Lens Magnification) Technique: Image stacking
2022: Grigorii Timin and Dr. Michel Milinkovitch, University of Geneva
- Subject Matter: Madagascar giant day gecko Magnification: 63X (Objective Lens Magnification) Technique: Confocal
