Photo of zebrafish wins top prize in Nikon microscopy competition

MELVILLE, N.Y. (PRNewswire) -- Nikon Instruments Inc. announced the winners of the 46th annual Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

Daniel Castranova, assisted by Bakary Samasa while working in the lab of Dr. Brant Weinstein at the National Institutes of Health, took the top prize for his artfully rendered and technically immaculate photo of a juvenile zebrafish.

The image is a dorsal view of the head of a fish with fluorescently "tagged" skeleton, scales (blue) and lymphatic system (orange), taken using confocal microscopy and image-stacking.

PRNewsphoto/Nikon Instruments Inc.

This image is particularly significant because it was taken as part of an imaging effort that helped Castranova's team make a groundbreaking discovery - zebrafish have lymphatic vessels inside their skull that were previously thought to occur only in mammals.

Their occurrence in fish, a much easier subject to raise, experiment with, and photograph, could expedite and revolutionize research related to treatments for diseases that occur in the human brain, including cancer and Alzheimer's.

 Castranova stitched together more than 350 individual images to create this single stunning visual. The image was acquired using a spinning disk confocal, merging together maximum intensity projections of three separate image Z stacks to generate the final reconstructed image.
 

"The image is beautiful, but also shows how powerful the zebrafish can be as a model for the development of lymphatic vessels," Castranova said, "Until now, we thought this type of lymphatic system associated with the nervous system only occurred in mammals. By studying them, the scientific community can expedite a range of research and clinical innovations – everything from drug trials to cancer treatments. This is because fish are so much easier to raise and image than mammals."
 

"For 46 years, the goal of the Nikon Small World competition has been to share microscopic imagery that visually blends art and science for the general public," said Eric Flem, Communications Manager, Nikon Instruments, "As imaging techniques and technologies become more advanced, we are proud to showcase imagery that this blend of research, creativity, imaging technology and expertise can bring to scientific discovery. This year's first place winner is a stunning example."
 

Second place was awarded to Daniel Knop for his image of the embryonic development of a clownfish (Amphiprion percula) on days 1, 3 (morning and evening), 5, and 9, created using image-stacking. It shows the development, from hours after fertilization (even with a pack of sperm cells being visible on top of the egg), until hours before hatching. The primary challenge was to create sharp focus stacking pictures while the embryo was alive and moving.

 Third place was captured by Small World veteran Dr. Igor Siwanowicz for this picture of the tongue (radula) of a freshwater snail, using confocal microscopy.

 In addition to the top three winners, Nikon Small World recognized 88 photos out of thousands of entries from scientists and artists across the globe.

 The 2020 judging panel included:
 

For additional information, please visit www.nikonsmallworld.com, or follow the conversation on Facebook, Twitter @NikonSmallWorld and Instagram @NikonInstruments.

 2020 NIKON SMALL WORLD WINNERS
 The following are the Top 20 and Honorable Mentions for Nikon Small World 2020. The full gallery of winning images, including the additional Images of Distinction, can be viewed at www.nikonsmallworld.com

 1st Place
 Daniel Castranova, Dr. Brant Weinstein & Bakary Samasa
 Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
 National Institutes of Health
 Section on Vertebrate Organogenesis
 Bethesda, Maryland, USA
 Dorsal view of bones and scales (blue) and lymphatic vessels (orange) in a juvenile zebrafish
 Confocal
 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)

 2nd Place
 Daniel Knop
 Natur und Tier-Verlag NTV
 Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany
 Embryonic development of a clownfish (Amphiprion percula) on days 1, 3 (morning and evening), 5, and 9
 Image Stacking
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

3rd Place
 Dr. Igor Siwanowicz
 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
 Janelia Research Campus
 Ashburn, Virginia, USA
 Tongue (radula) of a freshwater snail
 Confocal
 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

4th Place
 Dr. Vasileios Kokkoris, Dr. Franck Stefani & Dr. Nicolas Corradi
 University of Ottawa & Agriculture and Agrifood Canada
 Department of Biology
 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
 Multi-nucleate spores and hyphae of a soil fungus (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus)
 Confocal
 63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 
 5th Place
 Ahmad Fauzan
 Saipem
 Jakarta, Indonesia
 Bogong moth
 Image Stacking
 5X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

6th Place
 Dr. Robert Markus & Zsuzsa Markus
 University of Nottingham
 School of Life Sciences, Super Resolution Microscopy
 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
 Hebe plant anther with pollen
 Confocal
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

7th Place
 Jason Kirk
 Baylor College of Medicine
 Optical Imaging & Vital Microscopy Core
 Houston, Texas, USA
 Microtubules (orange) inside a cell. Nucleus is shown in cyan.
 Confocal
 63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

8th Place
 Dr. Allan Carrillo-Baltodano & David Salamanca
 Queen Mary University of London
 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences
 London, United Kingdom
 Chameleon embryo (autofluorescence)
 Fluorescence
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

9th Place
 Jason Kirk & Quynh Nguyen
 Baylor College of Medicine
 Optical Imaging & Vital Microscopy Core
 Houston, Texas, USA
 Connections between hippocampal neurons (brain cells)
 Confocal
 63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

10th Place
 Ahmad Fauzan
 Saipem
 Jakarta, Indonesia
 Daphnia magna (Phyllopoda)
 Image Stacking
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

11th Place
 Dr. Tagide deCarvalho
 University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
 Baltimore, Maryland, USA
 Red algae
 Confocal
 63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

12th Place
 Robert Vierthaler
 Pfarrwerfen, Salzburg, Austria
 Human hair
 Image Stacking
 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

13th Place
 Justin Zoll
 Justin Zoll Photography
 Ithaca, New York, USA
 Crystals formed after heating an ethanol and water solution containing L-glutamine and beta-alanine
 Polarized Light
 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

14th Place
 Özgür Kerem Bulur
 Istanbul, Turkey
 Leaf roller weevil (Byctiscus betulae) lateral view
 Image Stacking, Reflected Light
 3.7X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 
 15th Place
 Dr. Eduardo Zattara & Dr. Alexa Bely
 CONICET
 Instituto Nac. de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente
 Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
 Chain of daughter individuals from the asexually reproducing annelid species Chaetogaster diaphanus
 Brightfield
 5X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

16th Place
 Alexander Klepnev
 JSC Radiophysics
 Moscow, Russian Federation
 Nylon stockings
 Polarized Light
 9X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

17th Place
 Anne Algar
 Hounslow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
 Ventral view of an immature water boatman
 Darkfield, Image Stacking, Polarized Light
 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

18th Place
 Chris Perani
 San Rafael, California, USA
 Atlas moth wing
 Image Stacking
 10x (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

19th Place

Dr. Jan Michels
 Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
 Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics
 Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
 Silica cell wall of the marine diatom Arachnoidiscus sp.
 Confocal
 50x (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

20th Place
 Dr. Dorit Hockman & Dr. Vanessa Chong-Morrison
 University of Cape Town
 Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
 Skeleton preparation of a short-tailed fruit bat embryo (Carollia perspicillata)
 Brightfield
 1X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Honorable Mentions
 Christopher Algar
 Hounslow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
 Phantom midge larva
 Darkfield, Image Stacking, Polarized Light
 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

George Thomas Barlow
 Duke University
 Department of Biology
 Durham, North Carolina, USA
 Egyptian star cluster (Pentas lanceolata) stigma
 Image Stacking
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)

 Dr. Saikat Ghosh & Dr. Lolitika Mandal
 Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali
 Department of Biological Sciences
 Mohali, Punjab, India
 Lymph gland (blood organ) of a fruit fly larva
 Confocal
 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Maikl Gribkov
 Mikrofoto
 Dzerzhinsky, Moskow Region, Russian Federation
 Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens)
 Image Stacking
 4X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Aigars Jukna
 Riga, Latvia
 Beetle leg
 Image Stacking, Reflected Light
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 
 Dr. Karl Koehler & Dr. Jiyoon Lee
 Boston Children's Hospital & Harvard Medical School
 Department of Otolaryngology & Plastic and Oral Surgery
 Boston, Massachusetts, USA
 Human hair follicles growing from a stem cell-derived skin organoid (cyan) with nerves (red)
 Confocal
 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)

 Alexey Marchenko
 AlexmarPhoto
 Gomel, Belarus
 Liquid crystals in a mobile LCD screen
 Brightfield
 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Marek Miś
 Marek Miś Photography
 Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland
 Daphnia sp. displaying seasonal changes in body shape with its elongated head and tail
 Darkfield, Polarized Light
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Dr. Andrew Moore & Dr. Dvir Gur
 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
 Janelia Research Campus
 Ashburn, Virginia, USA
 Actin in a live zebrafish (color-coded for depth)
 Confocal
 63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Jorge Perez Carsi
 Valencia, Spain
 Flower crab spider (Thomisus)
 Image Stacking
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Javier Replinger
 Profesor Técnico I.E.S Nestor Almendros
 Imagen y sonido
 Gines, Sevilla, Spain
 Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis)
 Image Stacking, Reflected Light
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Marco Vinicio Retana
 Palmares, Alajuela, Costa Rica
 Ship-timber beetle (Lymexylidae)
 Image Stacking
 5X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Dr. Igor Siwanowicz
 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
 Janelia Research Campus
 Ashburn, Virginia, USA
 Hedgehog flea
 Confocal
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Dr. Igor Siwanowicz
 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
 Janelia Research Campus
 Ashburn, Virginia, USA
 Freshwater snail tongue (radula)
 Confocal
 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Jonard Corpuz Valdoz, Dr. Pam Van Ry & Dr. Richard Robison
 Brigham Young University
 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Van Ry Lab)
 Provo, Utah, USA
 Mouse paw infected with Chikungunya Virus (pink). Immune response is shown in blue and general tissue in orange.
 Image Stitching, Confocal, Deconvolution
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

Gerhard Zimmert
 Vienna, Austria
 Sweet violet (Viola odorata) root - transversal section
 Brightfield
 10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
 

About Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition
 The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography or video. Participants may upload digital images and videos directly at www.nikonsmallworld.com. For additional information, contact Nikon Small World, Nikon Instruments Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747, USA or phone (631) 547-8569. Entry forms for Nikon's 2021 Small World and Small World in Motion Competitions are available at https://enter.nikonsmallworld.com/.
 

About Nikon Instruments Inc.
 Nikon Instruments Inc. is the US microscopy arm of Nikon Healthcare, a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical and digital imaging technology for biomedical applications.  For more information, visit https://www.microscope.healthcare.nikon.com/ or contact us at 1-800-52-NIKON.
 

SOURCES: Nikon Instruments Inc., PRNewswire