Nikon Small World 2011’s first place photomicrograph is a confocal microscopy portrait of a Chrysopa sp. (green lacewing) larva at 20 times magnification. The image was made by Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.

Nikon is has announced the winners of the 2011 Small World Photomicrography Competition, with this year’s top honors going to Dr. Igor Siwanowicz for a micrograph that demonstrates the beauty in “ugly”.

                           

When a small bug landed on Dr. Igor Siwanowicz’s hand and began “fiercely digging its mandibles” into his skin, he didn’t swat it away. Instead, he removed a tiny test tube from his pocket—which he carries for occasions such as these—and captured it as a potential subject for his photomicrography passion.

                   

Little did he know at the time, but this chance meeting with what is actually the Common Green Lacewing would lead to Siwanowicz, of Madison, Wisconsin being named the winner of the 2011 Nikon Small World competition. Nikon Small World recognizes excellence in photomicrography, honoring images that successfully showcase the delicate balance between difficult scientific technique and exquisite artistic quality.

                       

“My art causes a dissonance for its viewer—a conflict between the culturally imprinted perception of an insect as something repulsive and ugly with a newly-acquired admiration of the beauty of its form,” said Siwanowicz, who completed his doctoral studies in protein crystallography but now works in invertebrate photography for research. “My hope is that in some way, my photomicrographs prompt people to realize the presence of cultural programming, question it, and eventually throw it off as an illusion. I am so pleased to be recognized by Nikon Small World for this philosophy, but also the technical expertise it required to capture this photo.”

 

Siwanowicz only had one take to capture his specimen because of specific needs for its dissection. Using a confocal microscope, he carefully fixed and dyed the sample to take the image—difficult as the head of the bug measured just 1.3 mm in length.

“Year over year, we receive spectacular images for the Nikon Small World Competition, and it is our privilege to honor the talented researchers and photomicrographers who submit their amazing work,” said Eric Flem, communications manager, Nikon Instruments. “As evidenced by Siwanowicz, the difficulty in marrying technique and aesthetics is no easy feat. We are proud that this competition is able to showcase this beautiful imagery and demonstrate some of the many facets of science.”

                       

Earning a fifth place in the competition was a 3D reconstruction of a microchip surface at 500 times magnification. The incident light image, obtained with Normarski interference contrast microscopy, was obtained by Alfred Pasieka of Hilden, Germany.

The top five images this year are:

 

• Dr. Igor Siwanowicz, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology; portrait of a

               Chrysopa sp. (green lacewing) larvae

• Dr. Donna Stolz, University of Pittsburgh; blade of grass
• Frank Fox, Fachhochschule Trier; Melosira Moniliformis, living specimen
• Dr. Robin Young, The University of British Columbia; instrinsic

               flourescence in Lepidozia reptans (liverwort)

• Alfred Pasieka, Hilden Germany; Microchip surface, 3D construction

Nikon has also awarded several “Honorable Mentions” and “Images of Distinction” this year to outstanding photomicrographs that demonstrate superior technical competency and artistic skill. The competition awarded 92 winners (some of whom won multiple times) and received entries from almost 70 countries around the world.                    

This year’s judges: Alan Boyle, Science Editor, MSNBC.com; Dan Vergano, Science Columnist, USA Today; Simon Watkins, Ph.D., Founder and Director of The University of Pittsburg Center for Biological Imaging and Professor and Vice Chairman for Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University Of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Richard Day, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine.

                       

Top images from the 2011 Nikon Small World Competition will be exhibited in a full-color calendar and through a national museum tour.

Nikon Small World image gallery

SOURCE: Nikon Instruments