2020 Small World in Motion Competition

Colonies of rotifers with eggs

Massimo Brizzi

Affiliation
www.massimobrizzi.it
Empoli, Firenze, Italy
Technique
Darkfield
Magnification
10X - 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This movie captures the almost dancelike movements of colonies of rotifers with their eggs. Mr. Brizzi actively studies and documents microorganisms that reside in highly polluted waters. This particular colony of rotifers is a rare variant of freshwater dwellers and taken using the darkfield microscopy technique. One of the biggest challenges to capturing this image is getting the colony transferred to a glass microscope slide without harming the organism.

Morphing melanoma cells (alpha-Actintin shown in yellow; actin in red)

Dr. Gregory Adams Jr.

Affiliation
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NHLBI
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Technique
Confocal
Magnification
60X (Objective Lens Magnification)

This movie spectacularly shows morphing melanoma cancer cells (in red and yellow). It was captured using spinning disk confocal imaging technology with cancer cells that were transfected with fluorescent fusion proteins and placed on a PDMS BSA coated coverslip (a patterned coverslip designed to control the movement, growth and adhesion of the organism). Dr. Adams studies cancer as a cell biologist and microscopist. Although Dr. Adams says that he partially chose this image to bring to Small World in Motion because of its visual aesthetics, he also felt the subject matter might spark the interest of younger people in science.

Colonies of green algae (Volvox)

Massimo Brizzi

Affiliation
www.massimobrizzi.it
Empoli, Firenze, Italy
Technique
Darkfield
Magnification
10X - 20X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Volvox (or Protists) are colonies of cells that form in bodies of water high in nitrate, such as puddles, ditches and shallow ponds. Shown here, these “micro-cities” straddle the line between animal and plant, moving through the water as a single organism feeding. This movie was taken using the darkfield microscopy lighting technique and clearly shows Mr. Brizzi’s mastery of keeping these active creatures in focus during his study.