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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.

Nikon Small World recognizes Kwon's image, along with the other 2007 winners, for depicting both scientific and artistic qualities, illustrating proficiencies in both areas. The winning images were selected from over 1,700 photomicrograph entries from scientists and artists from around the globe and judged by a panel of experts.

"Nikon Small World provides the opportunity for the general public to experience the beauty that can be generated through scientific research," said Lee Shuett, executive vice president, Nikon Instruments. "As digital imaging capabilities continue to advance, our abilities to capture and share the tiniest of objects continue to grow. We celebrate every Small World contributor as we honor the 2007 winners."

Founded in 1974 to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope, Nikon Small World is the leading forum for celebrating the beauty and complexity of objects seen through the light microscope. The 2007 winning photographers were recognized last night at the Explorers Club in New York City, a famed meeting point and unifying force for explorers and scientists worldwide. Nikon also unveiled the complete gallery of winning photomicrographs set to tour science and art museums across the nation beginning October 12. Images are also available in the Small World calendar, which can be purchased at http://www.nikonsmallworld.com..., and in an online gallery featured at the same location.

The top three images include Kwon's image of the mouse embryo, Michael Hendricks' image of a zebrafish brain cross-section and Wim van Egmond's image of a rotifer, a microscopic marine animal. Nikon has also awarded several "Images of Distinction" this year to outstanding photomicrographs that demonstrate superior technical competency and artistic skill.

"Each image offers a glimpse into an unseen world," said Eric Flem, communications manager, Nikon Instruments. "From viewing the smallest specimens to uncovering new levels of detail, these images broaden our understanding of how everything is connected."

This year's judges again represented top industry experts and included 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; and Daniel Sieberg, science and technology correspondent, CBS News. Michael Davidson, Director of the Optical and Magneto-Optical Imaging Center at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University served as a consultant to the judges.

THE OFFICIAL 2007 NIKON SMALL WORLD WINNERS

The 2007 gallery of winning images can be viewed at http://www.nikonsmallworld.com....

1st Place

Gloria Kwon

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute

New York, New York, USA

Double transgenic mouse embryo, 18.5 days (17x)

Brightfield, Darkfield, Fluorescence (GFP, RFP)

2nd Place

Michael Hendricks

Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory

National University of Singapore

Kent Ridge, Singapore

Zebrafish embryo midbrain and diencephalon (20x)

Confocal

3rd Place

Wim van Egmond

Micropolitan Museum

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Testudinella patina (a rotifer) (400x)

Differential Interference Contrast

4th Place

Charles Krebs

Charles Krebs Photography

Issaquah, Washington, USA

Marine diatoms attached to Polysiphonia (red algae) (100x)

Differential Interference Contrast

5th Place

Peter Parks

Imagequestmarine.com

Witney, Oxon, UK

Sea water with mixed zooplankton and needle eye (20x)

Reflected Light

6th Place

Charles Krebs

Charles Krebs Photography

Issaquah, Washington, USA

Hydrophilidae sp. (water scavenger beetle) larva (100x)

Brightfield with Crossed Polarization

7th Place

Michael Klymkowsky

MCD Biology

University of Colorado at Boulder

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Xenopus (frog) embryos (20x)

Stereomicroscopy

8th Place

Vera Hunnekuhl

Department of Zoology

University of Osnabruck

Osnabruck, Germany

Erpobdella octoculata (fresh water leech) (25x)

Confocal

9th Place

Shamuel Silberman

Ramat Gan, Israel

Papaver subpiriforme (corn poppies) flower bud (20x)

Fiber Optic Illumination

10th Place

Dr. Stephen Nagy

Montana Diatoms

Helena, Montana, USA

Antique microscope slide featuring thin section of diseased ivory (15x)

Polarized Light

11th Place

Dr. Robert Markus

Institute of Genetics

Biological Research Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Szeged, Hungary

Opening stamen of Mirabilis jalapa (flower) (125x)

Confocal

12th Place

Annette Bergter

Zoology Division

University of Osnabruck

Osnabruck, Germany

Ophryotrocha diadema (marine worm) embryo, showing nervous system and

cilia (25x)

Confocal

13th Place

Dr. Stephen Lowry

University of Ulster

Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK

Coiled radula of Patella vulgaris (mollusk) (20x)

Polarized Light

14th Place

Christian Gautier

BIOS/PHONE Photo Agency

Avignon, France

Cedrus atlantica (cedar) leaf crosscut (200x)

Polarized Light

15th Place

Rodrigo Mexas

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Trematode sp. (parasitic worm) (400x)

Differential Interference Contrast

16th Place

Steven Valley

Oregon Department of Agriculture, Plant Division

Salem, Oregon, USA

Mimetidae sp. (spider) egg case (30x)

Stereomicroscopy

17th Place

Dr. Jeffery Bowen

Bridgewater State College

Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA

Kaleidofly of a Halloween Pennant (dragonfly) (1x)

Stereomicroscopy

18th Place

Klaus Bolte

Natural Resources Canada

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Amisega floridensis (parasitic wasp) (90x)

Stereomicroscopy

19th Place

Viktor Sykora

Institute of Pathophysiology, First Medical Faculty

Charles UniversityPrague, Czech Republic

Epilobium parviflorum (small-flowered willowherb) seeds (10x)

Stereomicroscopy, Darkfield

20th Place

Dr. Matthew Hooge

Portland, Oregon, USA

Clione sp. (planktonic mollusk) larva (40x)

Differential Interference Contrast

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Jesper Gronne

Silkeborg, Denmark

Cluster of snow crystals (snowflakes) (10x)

Polarized Light

Vera Hunnekuhl

Department of Zoology

University of Osnabruck

Osnabruck, Germany

Erpobdella octoculata (fresh water leech) (10x)

Confocal

Dr. Daniel Kalman (Emory University)

Patrick Reeves (Emory University)

Katie Ris-Vicari (Nature Medicine)

Cell infected with poxvirus (630x)

Deconvolution

Rafal Klajn

Department of Chemical Engineering

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois, USA

Liesegang rings obtained by reacting silver and dichromate ions (40x)

Brightfield

Milan Kosanovic

Belgrade, Serbia

Evaporated copper-sulphate solution on paper figure (1x)

Polarized Light

Dr. Pascale Lacor

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois, USA

Mature rat hippocampal neurons attacked by Alzheimer's related neurotoxins

(100x)

Confocal

Carmen Laethem

Aerie Pharmaceuticals

Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA

Trabecular meshwork cells from a pig's eye (20x)

Fluorescence

Rudolf Oldenbourg

Marine Biological Laboratory

Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA

Nephrotoma suturalis (crane fly) spermatocytes (60x)

Polarized Light

Dr. Shirley Owens

Center for Advanced Microscopy

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Cichorium intybus (chickory) pollen grains on

stigmatic surface (1250x)

Confocal, Fluorescence

Peter Parks

Imagequestmarine.com

Witney, Oxon, UK

Atlanta peronii (gastropod mollusk) (170x)

Darkfield, Rheinberg Illumination

Daniel Pregibon

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Particles used to detect multiple DNA oligomers (100x)

Fluorescence

Dr. Havi Sarfaty

Ramat Gan, Israel

Desiccated garden flower (20x)

Fiber Optic Illumination

Dr. Jan Schmoranzer

Columbia University

New York, New York, USA

Wounded monolayer of fibroblast cells in culture (600x)

Fluorescence

Viktor Sykora

Institute of Pathophysiology, First Medical Faculty

Charles UniversityPrague, Czech Republic

Infested leaf (5x)

Stereomicroscopy, Darkfield

Sven Terclavers

VIB Center for Transgene Technology & Gene Therapy

Campus Gasthuisberg O&N

Leuven, Belgium

3D reconstruction of a zebrafish section (400x)

Confocal (2-photon)

Bob Turner, RBP, FBPA

The Scripps Research Institute

La Jolla, California, USA

Quartz sample (20x)

Interference Cross Polarization

ABOUT THE NIKON SMALL WORLD PHOTOMICROGRAPHY COMPETITION

The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography. Participants may submit their images in traditional 35mm format, or upload digital images directly at http://www.nikonsmallworld.com.... The first and second of 20 prize winners will receive a selection of Nikon products and equipment worth $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. 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 2007 Small World Competition may also be downloaded from http://www.nikonsmallworld.com...