The 2024 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition, now in its 50th year, celebrates the beauty and science behind the smallest details of our world. Each year, scientists and artists from around the globe submit stunning microscope images that reveal extraordinary views of life on a microscopic scale. From intricate cell structures to fascinating natural phenomena, these images offer a unique glimpse into the hidden world around us.
This year’s winners did not disappoint. First place was awarded to Dr. Bruno Cisterna for his incredible image of mouse brain tumor cells, which sheds light on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS. The 2024 competition continues to highlight how microscopy advances both art and science.
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#1 Image Of Distinction – Zhang Chao
National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Beijing, China
“Beach sand.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
The organizers of Nikon Small World 2024 revealed that judges reviewed entries from around the world to choose the winners. They looked for images that stood out for their originality, the information they showed, technical skill, and visual appeal.
This year, the competition received about 2,100 photos from 80 different countries.
#2 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Laurent Formery And Dr. Nathaniel Clarke
Stanford University
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Pacific Grove, California, USA
“Nervous system of a young sea star.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#3 12th Place – Daniel Knop
Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany
“Wing scales of a butterfly (Papilio ulysses) on a medical syringe needle.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
Dr. Cisterna’s winning image is not just beautiful—it’s important for science. His work helps us understand how changes in the structure of brain cells may lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS. By capturing this image, Dr. Cisterna gives us a better view of how these diseases work, which could help find treatments in the future. His image truly combines science and art, showing how powerful and meaningful microscopy can be.
“One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don’t fully understand what causes them,” said Dr. Cisterna. “To develop effective treatments, we need to figure out the basics first. Our research is crucial for uncovering this knowledge and ultimately finding a cure. Differentiated cells could be used to study how mutations or toxic proteins that cause Alzheimer’s or ALS alter neuronal morphology, as well as to screen potential drugs or gene therapies aimed at protecting neurons or restoring their function.”
#4 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Håkan Kvarnström
Bromma, Sweden
“Peacock plume feather.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#5 Image Of Distinction – Timothy Boomer
Vacaville, California, USA
“Slime mold (Prototrichia metallica).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
“After three years of research, we finally published our findings four months ago in the Journal of Cell Biology, and there’s still more work to be done. I’m deeply passionate about scientific imaging; I’ve been following the Nikon Small World contest for about 15 years. It’s an incredible contest that highlights the beauty of photomicrography but also inspires continued exploration and innovation in the field,” said Dr. Cisterna.
#6 Honorable Mention – Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia, USA
“Antenna of a mole crab.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#7 Image Of Distinction – Ted Kinsman
Rochester Institute of Technology
Photosciences Department
Rochester, New York, USA
“A common house cat claw.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
Second place went to Dr. Marcel Clemens, who captured an electrical arc between a pin and a wire, created by a 10,000-volt charge. Third place was awarded to Chris Romaine for his close-up of a cannabis leaf, showing tiny trichomes and cannabinoid vesicles. These images, along with many others from the 2024 competition, show the beauty and variety of the microscopic world, blending creativity and science in exciting ways.
#8 Image Of Distinction – Uwe Lange
Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany
“Pollen on the compound eyes of a fly.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#9 3rd Place – Chris Romaine
Port Townsend, Washington, USA
“Leaf of a cannabis plant. The bulbous glands are trichomes. The bubbles inside are cannabinoid vesicles.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
The 2024 judging panel included:
• Adrian Coakley, Director of Photography at National Geographic Books;
• Michelle S. Itano, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology and Director of the Neuroscience Microscopy Core at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;
• Emily Petersen, Photography Managing Editor at Science Magazine;
• Clare Waterman, Ph.D., Cell Biologist and Member of the National Academy of Sciences;
• Jennifer C. Waters, Ph.D., Director of the Core for Imaging Technology & Education at Harvard Medical School;
• Samantha Yammine, Ph.D., Neuroscientist and Science Communicator.
#10 13th Place – Paweł Błachowicz
Bedlno, Świętokrzyskie, Poland
“Eyes of green crab spider (Diaea dorsata).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#11 Honorable Mention – Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert
Glendale, Arizona, USA
“Ocelli between the compound eyes of a yellow jacket.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#12 Honorable Mention – Jochen Stern
Mannheim, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
“Golden bug eggs on a sage leaf.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#13 5th Place – Thomas Barlow And Connor Gibbons
Columbia University
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
New York, New York, USA
“Cluster of octopus (Octopus hummelincki) eggs.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#14 Honorable Mention – Randy Fullbright
Vernal, Utah, USA
“Agatized dinosaur bone.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#15 2nd Place – Dr. Marcel Clemens
Verona, Veneto, Italy
"Electrical arc between a pin and a wire."
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#16 Honorable Mention – Daniel Evrard
Aywaille, Liege, Belgium
“Vinyl player needle on scratched vinyl disk.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#17 Image Of Distinction – Thomas Neumann
Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
“Ink dot on Japanese washi paper.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#18 6th Place – Henri Koskinen
Helsinki University
Helsinki, Uudenmaan lääni, Finland
“Slime mold (Cribraria cancellata).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#19 9th Place – John-Oliver Dum
Medienbunker Produktion
Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany
“Pollen in a garden spider (Araneus) web.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#20 Image Of Distinction – Elkhan Yusifov And Dr. Martina Schaettin
University of Zurich
Department of Molecular Life Sciences
Zurich, Switzerland
“Developing nervous system in the eye of a 7-day-old chick embryo.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#21 11th Place – Dr. Ferenc Halmos
Bánd, Veszprém, Hungary
“Slime mold on a rotten twig with water droplets.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#22 Image Of Distinction – Joshua Coogler
Dallas, North Carolina, USA
“Moss sporophyte with spores (green).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#23 Image Of Distinction – Jacek Myslowski
Wloclawek, Kujawko-Pomorskie, Poland
“Water mite (Arrenurus).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#24 7th Place – Gerhard Vlcek
Maria Enzersdorf, Austria
“Cross section of European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) leaf.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#25 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Robert Markus
University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences, Super Resolution Microscopy
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
“Dandelion (Traxacum officinale) cross section showing curved stigma with pollen.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#26 Image Of Distinction – Daniel Knop
Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany
“Dorsal part of cuckoo wasp (Hedychrum gerstaeckeri) abdomen.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#27 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia, USA
“Aster anther cross-section with pollen grains (green).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#28 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Saikat Ghosh
National Institutes of Health
NICHD
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
“Human neurons.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#29 Image Of Distinction – Daniel Knop
Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany
“Opening of a hibiscus flower (Hibiscus moscheutos) exposing the pollen in four stages, each ten minutes apart.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#30 Image Of Distinction – Susannah Waxman And Dr. Ian Sigal
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Ophthalmology
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
“Optic nerve head collagen of a pig.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#31 16th Place – Marek Miś
Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland
“Two water fleas (Daphnia sp.) with embryos (left) and eggs (right).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#32 19th Place – Alison Pollack
San Anselmo, California, USA
“Seed of a Silene plant.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#33 Honorable Mention -Dr. Kseniia Bondarenko
University of Edinburgh
Institute for Immunology and Infection Research
Edinburgh, MidLothian, United Kingdom
“Acute-stage parasites of Toxoplasma gondii in a human skin cell.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#34 Image Of Distinction – Chris Romaine
Port Townsend, Washington, USA
“Bract (part of the plant’s reproductive structures) of a cannabis plant. The bulbous glands are trichomes.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#35 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Marko Pende
MDI Biological Laboratory
Murawala Lab
Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
“Ladybug (Coccinellidae) on a clover (Trifolium repens).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#36 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Sherif Abdallah Ahmed
Tanta University, Faculty of Science
Department of Zoology
Tanta, Egypt, Arab Republic
“Anterior section of palm weevil.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#37 Image Of Distinction – Alison Pollack
San Anselmo, California, USA
“Slime mold (Lamproderma arcyrioides).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#38 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Felice Placenti
FP Nature and Landscape Photography
Siracusa, Sicilia, Italy
“Potato tuber sprout.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#39 Image Of Distinction – Gerd A. Günther
Düsseldorf, Germany
“Cross section of a beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) leaf.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#40 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Martin Hein
Lions Eye Institute
Physiology and Pharmacology laboratory
Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
“Abnormal blood vessel formation in a human retina with severe diabetic retinopathy.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#41 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Nick Gatford
University of Oxford
Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
“A network of dopaminergic neurons generated from human stem cells.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#42 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Grigorii Timin And Dr. Michel Milinkovitch
University of Geneva
Department of Genetics and Evolution
Geneva, Switzerland
“Skin scales of a snake embryo stained with Fast Green dye.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#43 Honorable Mention – Dr. David Maitland
St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
“Transverse section of rachis (stem) of bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#44 Image Of Distinction – Steven A. Valley
Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
Entomology Lab
Albany, Oregon, USA
“Immature male damselfly (Calopteryx aequabilis).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#45 10th Place – Jan Martinek
Charles University
Department of Experimental Plant Biology
Prague, Czech Republic
“Spores of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#46 1st Place – Dr. Bruno Cisterna And Dr. Eric Vitriol
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine
Augusta, Georgia, USA
“Differentiated mouse brain tumor cells (actin, microtubules, and nuclei).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#47 14th Place – Marek Miś
Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland
“Recrystallized mixture of hydroquinone and myoinositol.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#48 Image Of Distinction – Shao Yang
Beijing Miteyide Culture Co., Ltd.A925
Beijing, China
“Fiber of nylon stockings.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#49 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Guillermo Moya
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Biology
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
“Neuronal axons connecting to the muscles of the iris and the cornea.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#50 Image Of Distinction – Chew Yen Fook
Woodend, Waimakiriri, New ZealandA936
“Graffiti from Berlin Wall stone section.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#51 Image Of Distinction – Ou Zhilei
Guangdong Radio and Television
Guangzhou, Guagndong, China
“Stamens of flowers (Anemone cathayensis Kitag. ex Ziman & Kadota).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#52 Honorable Mention – Christopher Algar
Hounslow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
“Brine shrimp.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#53 Image Of Distinction – Didier Barbet
Club Français de Microscopie
Bailly, France
“Fracture surface of mica (mineral).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#54 Image Of Distinction – Nikky Corthout And Miranda Dyson
VIB (Flanders Institute of Biotechnology)
Center for Brain and Disease Research
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
“Fruit fly (Drosophila) brain vasculature.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#55 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Amir Maqbool
Lovely Professional University
Department of Zoology
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
“Small fly killed by ‘zombie fly’ fungus (Entomophthora muscae).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#56 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Gonzalo Quiroga Artigas
RBM-CNRS
Montpellier, Herault, France
“Tardigrade (Hypsibius exemplaris).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#57 4th Place – Dr. Amy Engevik
Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
“Section of a small intestine of a mouse.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#58 17th Place – Dr. Frantisek Bednar
Svosov, Zilinsky, Slovak Republic
“Stonewort algae (Chara virgata) reproductive organs – oogonia (female organs) and antheridia (male organs).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#59 18th Place – Alison Pollack
San Anselmo, California, USA
“An insect egg parasitized by a wasp.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#60 Honorable Mention – Angus Rae
Australian National University
Centre for Advanced MicroscopyA306
MacGregor, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
“Autofluorescence in the face of a little two-spotted ladybird (Diomus notescens).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#61 Image Of Distinction – Jan Martinek
Charles University
Department of Experimental Plant Biology
Prague, Czech Republic
“Spores of a black Bagnoli truffle (Tuber mesentericum).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#62 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus
Ashburn, Virginia, USA
“Floret of a common chicory with pollen grains (spiky balls).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#63 Image Of Distinction – Chew Yen Fook
Woodend, Waimakiriri, New Zealand
“Water mite (Hydrachna sp.).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#64 15th Place – Sébastien Malo
Saint Lys, Haute-Garonne, France
“Isolated scales on Madagascan sunset moth wing (Chrysiridia ripheus).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#65 20th Place – Dr. Bruno Cisterna And Dr. Eric Vitriol
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative MedicineA215
Augusta, Georgia, USA
“Early stage of mouse glioblastoma cell differentiation (actin, microtubules, and mitochondria).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#66 Honorable Mention – Kevin Terretaz
CRBM-CNRS
Montpellier, Hérault, France
“Mosquito cells in culture with fluorescent markers for DNA and microtubules.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#67 Image Of Distinction – Anne Patricia Algar
Hounslow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
“Mosquito larva.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#68 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Adolfo Ruiz De Segovia
Madrid, Spain
“Plant root.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#69 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Bruno Vellutini
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
Dresden, Saxony, GermanyA903
“Gene expression patterns in a drain fly embryo (Clogmia albipunctata) with an open eggshell.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#70 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Florian Alonso
University of Bordeaux
BioTis-INSERM U1026A383
Pessac, Gironde, France
“Mouse aortic endothelium stained for beta-catenin (green), laminin (purple), smooth muscle actin (red), and Hoechst (cyan).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#71 Image Of Distinction – Aryah Nagarajan
Falmouth University
Institute of Photography
Penryn, Cornwall, United Kingdom
“Spores releasing from the sori of a Polypody fern (Polypodium vulgare).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#72 8th Place – Stephanie Huang
Victoria University of Wellington
School of Biological Sciences; School of Psychology
Wellington, New Zealand
“A neuron densely covered in dendritic spines from the striatum of an adult rat brain.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#73 Image Of Distinction – Nadia Efimova
Amicus Therapeutics
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
“Dandelion pappus.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#74 Image Of Distinction – Anna-Mari Elisabeth Haapanen-Saaristo
University of Turku
Turku Bioscience Centre / Cell Imaging & Cytometry Core and Zebrafish Core
“Gene expression patterns in a drain fly embryo (Clogmia albipunctata) with an open egg. Nutrient storage cells in a tardigrade.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#75 Image Of Distinction – Wen Jie Ji
Yin Works
The Bureau of Microworld Exploration
Beijing, China
“Integrated circuit chip.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#76 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Ewa Langner
Washington University in St Louis
Department of Medicine – Renal Division, Mahjoub Lab
St Louis, Missouri, USA
“Mouse embryonic kidney showing interstitial fibroblasts (yellow), tubular epithelium (cyan), and nuclei (magenta).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#77 Image Of Distinction – Satu Paavonsalo And Dr. Sinem Karaman
University of Helsinki
Individualized Drug Therapy Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki, FinlandA700
Helsinki, Finland
“Blood vessels (color gradient) and endothelial cell nuclei (white) in the intestinal villi of a mouse.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#78 Image Of Distinction – Yurim Seo, Dr. Mark Looney And Dr. Simon Cleary
University of California, San Francisco
Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Sleep Medicine
San Francisco, California, USA
“Lymphatic vasculature (cyan) and vessels (red) of a mouse lung.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#79 Image Of Distinction – Maxime Teixeira
Laval University
Department of Molecular Medicine
Québec, CanadaA858
“Cultured monkey kidney cells labeled for tubulin (blue) and actin (orange) showing pathological accumulation of alpha-syn aggregates (red).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#80 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Theo Theune
Oost-Souburg, Zeeland, Netherlands
“Abdominal skin of a tick that engorged with blood.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#81 Honorable Mention -Dr. Anja De Lange
University of Cape Town
Neuroscience Institute & Department of Human BiologyA249
Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
“Astrocytes surrounding a blood vessel in a thin slice of human brain.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#82 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Leo Serra
University of Cambridge
Sainsbury Laboratory
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
“Leaves arising from thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) meristem.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#83 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Bruce Douglas Taubert
Glendale, Arizona, USA
“Mid-tibial tuft on a male orchid bee, used to attract mates.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#84 Image Of Distinction – Karl Gaff
Dublin, Ireland
“Larva of a midge fly (Chironomidae).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#85 Image Of Distinction – Dr. Robert Markus, Dr. Zeeshan Mohammad, Dr. Sarah Pashley And Dr. Rita Tewari
University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences, Super Resolution MicroscopyA632
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
“Malaria parasites and mouse blood cells – tubulin (green), all proteins (purple), DNA (red).”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#86 Image Of Distinction – Luna Šošo Zdravković, Michael Surala And Christian Madry
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Institute of Neurophysiology
Berlin, Germany
“Pyramidal neuron in mouse hippocampus.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
#87 Honorable Mention – Dr. Amy Engevik
Medical University of South Carolina
Department of Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
“Intestinal villi.”
Image credits: Nikon Small World
