2020 Photomicrography Competition

Nylon stockings

Alexander Klepnev

Affiliation
JSC Radiophysics
Moscow, Russia
Technique
Polarized Light
Magnification
9X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Mr. Alexander Klepnev, a working patent engineer by career and photo microscopist by hobby, captured this image of Nylon Stockings using an old Soviet Microscope, a Sony A5000 camera and polarized lighting technique. This photo allows one to see the structure and intricate detail of this every day (for some) item.

Chain of daughter individuals from the asexually reproducing annelid species Chaetogaster diaphanus

Dr. Eduardo Zattara Dr. Alexa Bely

Affiliation
CONICET
Instituto Nac. de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente
Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
Technique
Brightfield
Magnification
5X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This creature is a chain of daughter individuals, which are a product of asexual reproduction of the Chaetogaster diaphanus, a type of freshwater worm. Dr. Eduardo Zattara studied and wrote his doctoral dissertation on the unique reproductive process as well as its ability to regenerate lost heads or tails after amputation, which has given us all a glimpse in to a relatively new field of study, regenerative medicine.

Ventral view of an immature water boatman

Anne Patricia Algar

Location
Hounslow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Technique
Darkfield, Image Stacking, Polarized Light
Magnification
4X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This cartoonlike photo of an immature water boatman (ventral view) was captured using a combination of darkfield, polarized light and image stacking. Captured by retired local government officer and microscope hobbyist Anne Algar, this image clearly shows varying length of hairs on the legs and body as well as internal organs. The darkfield technique gave this image its dark background and the Z stacking enabled the image to maintain depth of focus throughout.