Images of specimens entered into the 2007 Small World contest included insects, recrystallized chemicals and biochemicals, fluorescently labeled tissue sections, insects, plants, various microorganisms, liquid crystals, and fibers. Judges for the 33rd annual contest were Thomas Deerinck (University of California, San Diego), Nicole Dyer (Popular Science), John Hart (University of Colorado, Boulder), Malcolm Ritter (Associated Press), and Daniel Sieberg (CBS News).

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Juan Alberto Morales
  Departament of Pathology
  School of Veterinary Medicine
  Heredia, Costa Rica
  Acanthocephalan sp. (parasite) eggs (400x)
  Normarski differential interference contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Jose Almodovar
  Univercity of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
  Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  Cyanobacteria (20x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Jose Almodovar
  University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
  Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
  Flower reproductive organs (11x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  David Almquist
  Microimaginings
  Tallahassee, Florida, USA
  Tiger beetle (30x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Paul Andrews
  University of Dundee
  Dundee, UK
  Xenopus (frog) XLK2 (100x)
  Fluorescence, deconvolution

• Image of Distinction
  Tora Bardal
  NTNU Center of Fisheries and Aquaculture
  Department of Biology
  Trondheim, Norway
  Brachionus plicatilis (16x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Pedro Barrios-Perez
  National Research Council of Ottawa
  Ottawa, Canada
  Hard-baked photoresist exposed to solvent (200x)
  Reflected Light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Pedro Barrios-Perez
  National Research Council of Ottawa
  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  GaAs/AlGaAs oxidized mesas (200x)
  Reflected Light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Robert Berdan
  Science & Art Multimedia
  Calgary, Canada
  Diatoms (400x)
  Darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Annette Bergter
  Department of Zoology
  University of Osnabrück
  Osnabrück, Germany
  Erpobdella octoculata (Hirudinea) (leech) epidermis and muscle (25x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Jorge Bernardino de la Serna
  MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics
  University of Southern Denmark
  Odense, Denmark
  Giant unilamellar and multillamelar vesicles (40x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Kylie Boyce
  University of Melbourne
  Parkville, Australia
  Zea mays (maize) leaf infected with Ustilago maydis (1000x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Matthias Burba
  Hamburg, Germany
  Diatoms (65x)
  Darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Karla Daniels
  Department of Biological Sciences
  University of Iowa
  Iowa City, Iowa, USA
  Primary human dendritic cell (63x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Karl Deckart
  Eckental, Germany
  Christmas candle, self lit up by low voltage (5x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Andreas Fath
  Hansgrohe AG company
  Haslach, Germany
  Sol-gel coating based on BTSE and perflourinated Silane (50x)
  Transmitted Light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Daniel Gibbs
  San Diego School of Medicine
  University of California
  La Jolla, California, USA
  Primary mouse retinal pigmented epithelial cells (400x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Raul Gonzalez
  Mexico City, Mexico
  Spirogyra algae (25x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  Ralph Grimm
  Jimboomba, Australia
  Rhytidoponera metallica (Australian green-head ant) (30x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  Ralph Grimm
  Jimboomba, Australia
  Weevil head (50x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Eric Hwang
  The Scripps Research Institute
  La Jolla, California, USA
  Retinoic acid-induced P19 neuronal aggregate (40x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Joseph Johnson
  H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
  Tampa, Florida, USA
  Metaphase spread of HeLa (cancer) cells (1000x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Charles Kazilek
  ASU School of Life Sciences
  Paper Project / Arizona State University
  Tempe, Arizona, USA
  Japanese specialty paper fibers (Kozo/Mulberry) (100x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Edy Kieser
  Ennenda, Switzerland
  Crystallized acrylic acid amide (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Image of Distinction
  Edy Kieser
  Ennenda, Switzerland
  Crystallized potassium chlorate (50x)
  Polarized Light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Dennis Kunkel
  Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.
  Kailua, Hawaii, USA
  Anabaena sp. (cyanobacterium) and Netrium and Zygnema sp. (green algae) (100x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Ingo Lieberwirth
  Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research
  Mainz, Germany
  Poly-para phenylene vinylene (PPV) drop-cast from CHCl3 solution (100x)
  Polarized Light

• Image of Distinction
  Kathleen Llorens
  LSU Health Sciences Center
  Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
  Soap bubbles in water (10x)
  Differential interference contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Stephen Lowry
  School of Biomedical Sciences
  University of Ulster
  Londonderry, UK
  Dytiscus marginalis (great diving beetle) foreleg suckers (20x)
  Polarized light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Stephen Lowry
  School of Biomedical Sciences
  University of Ulster
  Londonderry, UK
  Serpentine rock (40x)
  Polarized Light

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Robert Markus
  Institute of Genetics
  Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
  Szeged, Hungary
  Aphis outer skin (65x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. George McNamara
  Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - Image Core
  Los Angeles, California, USA
  Mouse cross-section (1x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  Jan Michels
  Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
  Bremerhaven, Germany
  Alteutha potter (10x)
  Confocal, fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Jan Michels
  Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
  Bremerhaven, Germany
  Heterorhabdus sp. pair of fifth swimming legs (20x)
  Confocal, Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Carlos Muñoz
  Microscopy Center, Department of Biology
  University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
  Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  Pennate diatoms (60x)
  Nomarski differential interference contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Carlos Muñoz
  Microscopy Center, Department of Biology
  University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus
  Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
  Moss infected with fungus (10x)
  Darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Stephen Nagy
  Montana Diatoms
  Helena, Montana, USA
  Navicula clavata var indica (Greville) Cleve (375x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Shirley Owens
  Center for Advanced Microscopy
  Michigan State University
  East Lansing, Michigan, USA
  Bauhinia grandidieri (600x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Heiti Paves
  Tallinn University of Technology
  Tallinn, Estonia
  Arabidopsis thaliana (63x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Meike Piepenbring
  Institute of Mycology
  Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University
  Frankfurt, Germany
  Phragmidium sp. (rust fungus) teleutospores (2000x)
  Differential interference contrast

• Image of Distinction
  James Resau
  Van Andel Institute
  Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
  Human breast carcinoma (40x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Colin Rickman
  Center for Integrative Physiology
  University of Edinburgh
  Edinburgh, UK
  Transfected neuroblastoma 2A cells (63x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Piotr Rotkiewicz
  Droplet Microscopy
  San Diego, California, USA
  Polycystine radiolaria fossil skeleton (250x)
  Darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Greg Rouse
  Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  La Jolla, California, USA
  Hypomyzostoma on a crinoid echinoderm (50x)
  Darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Ales Ryska
  Department of Pathology
  Charles University Faculty Hospital
  Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  Intestinal mucosa (200x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  Henk Schulp
  Rotterdam, Netherlands
  Micrasterias fimbriata (a desmid) (100x)
  Differential Interference Contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Tsutomu Seimiya
  Tokyo Metropolitan University
  Tokyo, Japan
  Interference image of draining soap film (15x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  James Solliday
  Educational Photo Lab
  Santa Ana, California, USA
  Cat embryo (4x)
  Brightfield

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Josef Spacek
  Department of Pathology
  Charles University Faculty Hospital
  Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
  Decomposed leaf vessels (60x)
  Reflected, transmitted light

• Image of Distinction
  Martin Spitaler & Anna Schnitger
  Imperial College London
  London, UK
  Anopheles sp. (mosquito) (2.5x)
  Transmitted light

• Image of Distinction
  Sergio Stampar
  Institute of Biosciences
  University of São Paulo
  São Paulo, Brazil
  Hydractinia uniformis (66x)
  Stereomicroscopy

• Image of Distinction
  Viktor Sykora
  Institute of Pathophysiology
  Charles University
  Prague, Czech Republic
  Pieris japonica (5x)
  Stereomicroscopy, darkfield

• Image of Distinction
  Tomasz Szul
  High Resolution Imaging Facility
  Department of Cell Biology
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) (150x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Tomasz Szul
  High Resolution Imaging Facility
  Department of Cell Biology
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) compound eye (150x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Tomasz Szul
  High Resolution Imaging Facility, Department of Cell Biology
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  HeLa (cancer) cells (1500x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Patrick Taulman and Albert Tousson
  High Resolution Imaging Facility, Department of Cell Biology
  University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Birmingham, Alabama, USA
  Mouse testes (400x)
  Fluorescence

• Image of Distinction
  Raniska Tente
  Division of Biomedical Science
  University of Edinburgh Medical School
  Edinburgh, UK
  Lipid-encapsulated contrast microbubble (40x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Sarah Teren
  University of Wisconsin
  Madison, Wisconsin, USA
  5CB liquid crystal confined to a gold TEM grid (10x)
  Polarized light

• Image of Distinction
  Ustun Tulu
  University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
  LCPK1-alpha cells (63x)
  Confocal

• Image of Distinction
  Dr. Jan Valenta
  Department of Chemical Physics & Optics
  Charles University
  Prague, Czech Republic
  Integrated circuit with contacts (20x)
  Reflected polarized light

• Image of Distinction
  Wim van Egmond
  Micropolitan Museum
  Rotterdam, Netherlands
  Paramecium feeding (250x)
  Differential interference contrast

• Image of Distinction
  Marc Van Hove
  Centexbel
  Merelbeke, Belgium
  Crystalized solgel chemical (50x)
  Polarized Light, differential interference contrast

2007 COMPETITION PRIZE WINNERS

The Nikon Small World Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography through the microscope. Truly international in scope, entries have been received from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Winners have included both professionals and hobbyists.

The subject matter for this year's contest is unrestricted and any type of light microscopy technique is acceptable, including phase contrast, polarized light, fluorescence, interference contrast, darkfield, confocal, deconvolution, and mixed techniques. Entries submitted to Nikon are then judged by an independent panel of experts who are recognized authorities in the area of photomicrography and photography. These entries are judged on the basis of originality, informational content, technical proficiency and visual impact.

Entries may be submitted either on film (in 35 millimeter transparency format) or uploaded digitally through your web browser. The links below provide options for entering the contest.

Digital Entries - Entrants may enter Nikon's Small World Competition by uploading digital images directly to our servers. Before you begin, read the Contest Rules and prepare your images for uploading according to the instructions. You may also download a 2008 Competition Entry Form in portable document format for submission of entries by mail.

Prize List - Winners will receive one of 20 prizes, sorted according to rank in the competition. First place is a vacation trip valued at $3000 (US) or the equivalent amount of photographic, scientific, or industrial equipment and accessories at their suggested retail selling prices in the USA. Honorable mention winners will receive an 16 x 20-inch print of their entries.