Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition

Small World is regarded as the leading forum for showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope. For over 30 years, Nikon has rewarded the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science.

Deadline for Entries:
April 30, 2008

Philadelphia Area School Kids Rate Their Favorite Small World Images

Nikon Instruments and the Wistar Institute invited Philadelphia area school kids to choose their favorite Small World images from this year’s winners. To see which ones they rated highest, click here.

Mouse Embryo Captures Top Honors in the 2007 Competition

From a background of blackness emerges a peaceful image of bright red and green – a double transgenic mouse embryo – this year’s winning entry in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. The image was captured by Gloria Kwon, a researcher at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Institute, using widefield microscopy and red and green fluorescence.

For a look at all of the 2007 winners, click here.

Popular Vote Competition

It was an image resembling a fine stained-glass window that won the hearts of voters in the first-ever Popular Vote in the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition. The image, captured by Marc Van Hove of Centexbel in Belgium, depicts crystallized solgel chemical at a magnification of 50x.

The runner up was Christian Gautier of BIOS/PHONE photo agency in France. Gautier’s image depicts a crosscut of a cedar leaf captured at a magnification of 200x.

The 2008 Small World Wall Calendar

The Nikon Small World 2008 Calendar is printed in full color on 8.5 x 11 semi-gloss paper and spiral bound for mounting on the wall. It features the stunning images taken by the winners of this years’ competition.

For more information and to purchase the calendar, click here.

2007 Competition Judging

This year's Small World judges represented top industry experts, representing a diverse array of backgrounds:

  • Thomas Deerinck - research scientist, National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research and the Center for Research on Biological Systems at the University of California, San Diego
  • Nicole Dyer - senior editor, Popular Science
  • John Hart - atmospheric and oceanic science professor, University of Colorado, Boulder
  • Malcolm Ritter - science writer, Associated Press
  • Daniel Sieberg - science and technology correspondent, CBS News
  • Michael W. Davidson - Director of the Optical and Magneto-Optical Imaging Center at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Florida State University

For more information, click here

Small World On Tour!

Beginning in October, 2007 the twenty winning Small World photomicrographs will be on display at a number of museums across the United States (with two stops in Canada).

For the detailed museum schedule, click here.

Nikon Instruments Inc.