Notizie

The winning image of the 30th Annual Nikon International Small World Competition represents a range of new possibilities using nanotechnolgy to transform our physical world in ways never before imagined. Out of 1,200 images submitted from around the globe, only twenty were selected for this year's Small World Photomicrography exhibit. These winners will be recognized tonight at a twilight reception held at Good Morning America's Studios in New York's Times Square, where Nikon will debut the complete gallery of winning photos set to tour science and art museums across the nation beginning January 1, 2005.

The top three images include Mr. Seth Coe-Sullivan's image, a spiderwort flower anther and immature pollen by Dr. Shirley Owens, of the Michigan State University Center for Advanced Microcopy, and an image of differentiating neuronal cells by Dr. Torsten Wittmann of The Scripps Research Institute of Cell Biology,

"This year's 30th Anniversary of Small World recognizes the world's best photomicrographers who make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science. These winners stand on the cusp of a revolution in imaging technology that enable scientific professionals to deepen their research and share their results faster with other scientific professionals who, in turn, build upon their accomplishments. We are all beneficiaries of their scientific insights and artistic perceptions," said Lee Shuett, executive vice president, Nikon Instruments. "The photomicrographs featured in the gallery of art demonstrate scientific

curiosity blended with extraordinary artistic sensibility."

Nikon Instruments also announced today that it will kick off its Small World museum tour throughout the US in January. "The Nikon Small World Exhibit attracts thousands of people of all ages fascinated by these uniquely moving images," said Eric Flem, communications manager, Nikon Instruments. "These photos allow us to share in the special moments of discovery that spark scientific curiosity, and can serve as inspiration to aspiring young scientists."

The Nikon Small World 2004 distinguished panel of judges included Michael Davidson, of Florida State University, Michael Peres, Ph.D., of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Bonnie Stutski, photo editor of Smithsonian Magazine, Ellis Rubenstein, president of the New York Academy of Sciences, and Ted Salmon, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina.

ABOUT THE 2004 NIKON SMALL WORLD PHOTOMICROGRAPHY COMPETITION

Now in its 30th year, the Small World contest was founded in 1974 to recognize excellence in photography through the microscope. Each year, Nikon makes the winning images accessible to the public through the Nikon Small World calendar, a national museum tour, and an electronic gallery featured at http://www.nikonsmallworld.com. The competition's reputation has grown over the years and is regarded as the leading forum for recognizing beauty and complexity as seen through the microscope. The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photomicrography. Participants may access entry forms and submit their images in traditional 35mm format, or upload digital images directly at MicroscopyU on the Nikon Web site (http://www.nikonusa.com). For additional information, contact Nikon Small World, Nikon Instruments Inc., 1300 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747, USA or phone (631) 547-8569.

THE OFFICIAL 2004 NIKON SMALL WORLD WINNERS

The 2004 gallery of winning images can be viewed at http://www.nikonsmallworld.com.

1st Prize

Mr. Seth Coe-Sullivan

MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences

Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Quantum dot nanocrystals deposited on a silicon substrate (200x)

Polarized reflected light

2nd Prize

Dr. Shirley Owens

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Mi

Tradescantia virginiana (spiderwort flower) anther and immature pollen

Confocal (laser)

3rd Prize

Dr. Torsten Wittmann

The Scripps Research Institute

La Jolla, California, USA

Differentiating neuronal cells (actin, microtubules and DNA) (1000x)

Fluorescence

4th Prize

Mr. Chales Kazilek

The Paper Project / W.M. Keck Bioimaging Laboratory

Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona, USA

Australian plant fibers (Juncus sp.) from mold-made paper (100x)

Confocal (3-laser)

5th Prize

Mr. Francois Paquet-Durand

Institute of Physiology and Cell Biology

Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine

Hannover, Germany

Differentiated human NT-2 neuronal cells, 6 weeks old (40x)

Confocal (laser)

6th Prize

Mr. Charles Krebs

Charles Krebs Photography

Issaquah, Washington, USA

Thorax, head and eye section of Chrysochroa fulminans (a metallic beetle)

(6.25x)

Reflected light

7th Prize

Mrs. Tora Bardal

Department of Biology

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Trondheim, Norway

Turbot larvae, 25 days old (6x)

Brightfield

8th Prize

Mr. Alan Opsahl

Pfizer

Groton, Connecticut, USA

Rat epididymis (part of the male reproductive system) (100x)

Brightfield

9th Prize

Mr. Edy Kieser

Ennenda, Switzerland

Crystallized acetaminophen and ascorbic acid (40x)

Polarized light

10th Prize

Mr. Wim van Egmond

Micropolitan Museum

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Brittle Star Larva, living specimen (100x)

Differential interference contrast

11th Prize

Mr. Edy Kieser

Ennenda, Switzerland

Crystallized glycine, tartaric acid and resorcinol (40x)

Polarized light

12th Prize

Mr. Christian Gautier

BIOS/PHONE Photo Agency

Paris, France

Scolex (head) of Cysticercus psiformis (tapeworm) (100x)

Polarized light

13th Prize

Dr. Tsutomu Seimiya

Department of Chemistry

Tokyo Metropolitan University

Tokyo, Japan

Interference image of a microscopic flow-pattern in draining soap film

(15x)

Simple microscope

14th Prize

Mr. Robert Markus

Biological Research Center / Institute of Genetics

Hungarian Academy of Sciences

Szeged, Hungary

Taraxacum sp. (dandelion) stigma with pollen (100x)

Fluorescence

15th Prize

Mr. Wim van Egmond

Micropolitan Museum

Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Micrasterias rotata (a desmid) undergoing cell division (200x)

Darkfield

16th Prize

Mr. Ruben Sandoval

Indiana Center for Biological Microscopy

Indiana University School of Medicine

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Superficial kidney glomerulus of a living Munic Wistar rat (60x)

Confocal (2-Photon)

17th Prize

Dr. Amy Brock

Children's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Human microvascular endothelial cell (60x)

Fluorescence

18th Prize

Dr. Jennifer Waters Shuler and Adrian Salic

Department of Cell Biology

Harvard Medical School

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Mitotic human cells (microtubules, kinetochores, and DNA) (1000x)

Confocal (spinning disk)

19th Prize

Mr. Pedro Barrios

National Research Council of Canada (NRC)

Ottawa, Canada

Planarization of patterned silicon-nitride-coated silicon-substrate

(200x)

Reflected light / differential interference contrast

20th Prize

Mr. Albert Tousson

Department of Cell Biology

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama, USA

Cultured baby hamster kidney cells (1500x)

Fluorescence

THE OFFICIAL 2003 NIKON SMALL WORLD PHOTOMICROGRAPHY HONORABLE MENTIONS

Mr. Dylan Burnette

New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Filamentous actin and microtubules in the growth cone of a bag cell

neuron (800x)

Fluorescence

Dr. Kuruganti Murti

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Dried antibody precipitate (1000x)

Confocal (laser)

Dr. Chris Guthrie

Seattle, Washington, USA

Paraformaldehyde-fixed human embryonic kidney cells (3113x)

Fluorescence

Mr. Rene van Wezel

Aylesford, UK

Epidermal peel from an oat leaf (100x)

Phase contrast with Rheinberg filters

Mr. Donald Pottle

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Endothelial cell culture (microtubules and nuclei) (400x)

Fluorescence

Mr. Samuel Lawrence

Kempton, Pennsylvania, USA

Polished cross section of a bamboo fly fishing rod (200x)

Differential interference contrast

Dr. Edward Lein

San Diego, California, USA

Coronal sections of a 10 week old mouse brain (2x)

Darkfield

Mr. Ian Walker

Huddersfield, UK

Silkworm trachea (40x)

Darkfield / Rheinberg

Dr. Monica Pons

Barcelona, Spain

Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) embryo (20x)

Confocal (laser)

Dr. Jaromir Plasek

Prague, Czech Republic

Wing of a Lasius niger queen (garden ant) (20x)

Fluorescence

Dr. John Hart

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Resorcinal and methylene blue

Polarized light

Dr. John Hart

Boulder, Colorado, USA

Crystallized resorcinal and carbon tetrabromide (33x)

Polarized light

Dr. Ales Kladnik

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Flies caught on a Drosera leaf (carnivorous sundew plant) (30x)

Reflected light

Dr. Marna Ericson

Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) hypostome attached to the ear of a hamster

(200x)

Confocal (laser)

Dr. Alison J. North and Dr. Ignacio Munoz-sanjuan and Dr. Ali H.

Brivanlou

New York, New York, USA

Nervous system of a live Xenopus tadpole (10x)

Confocal (laser)