A groundbreaking image of mouse brain tumor cells took top honors at the 2024 Nikon Small World Competition. At first glance, the image (seen below) might look like a sci-fi plant structure, but it’s actually the actin, microtubules, and nuclei of the cells. “This image reveals how disruptions in the cell’s cytoskeleton–the structural framework and ‘highways’ known as microtubules–can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS,” a press release explains.
The image was taken by Dr. Bruno Cisterna, with assistance from Dr. Eric Vitriol. Capturing the image took a considerable amount of patience for the Augusta University research scientists. “I spent about three months perfecting the staining process to ensure clear visibility of the cells,” Cisterna said. “After allowing five days for the cells to differentiate, I had to find the right field of view where the differentiated and non-differentiated cells interacted.This took about three hours of precise observation under the microscope to capture the right moment, involving many attempts and countless hours of work to get it just right.”
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The Nikon Small World Competition celebrates its 50th year in 2024 with more than 2,100 entries submitted from 80 countries. Organizers call the awards the “leading forum for recognizing the art, proficiency, and photographic excellence involved in photomicrography.”
(Click on images to expand to expand their beauty.)
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