Microscopic Nature: Winners Of The 2014 Olympus Bioscapes Competition

Published January 4, 2015
Updated January 5, 2015
Microscopic Photography Barnacle

3rd Place: Dr. Igor Siwanowicz – HHMI Janelia Research Campus // Ashburn, VA, USA.
The appendages of a barnacle are used to move food for consumption. Technique: Confocal microscopy, 100x

Now in its second decade, the Olympus Bioscapes photography competition celebrates the stunning beauty of and discoveries in the field of science. But it comes with a catch: this beauty must be found beneath the lens of a microscope. Amateur and professional scientists from over 70 different countries submit thousands of entries per year in the hopes of being recognized in the competition, which is widely regarded as the world’s best showcase for this unique brand of photographic landscapes. The images that follow contain both winners and honorable mentions for 2014.

Microscopic Photography Mosquito Larvae

Honorable mention: Mr. Charles Krebs – Issaquah, WA, USA.
Specimen: Mosquito larva.
Technique: polarized dark field illumination, 100x

Microscopic Photography Micro Algae

Honorable mention: Mr. Rogelio Moreno Gill – Panama City, Panama.
Micro algae from a river – with chloroplasts, isthmus and accumulation of crystals
Technique: Polarized light with image stacking

Microscopic Photography Skin Cancer

Honorable mention: Dr. Gopinath Meenakshisundaram – Institute of Medical Biology // A-Star, Singapore.
A human skin cancer cell
Technique: Confocal microscopy
Co-prizewinners: Prabha Sampath

Microscopic Photography Crab Spider

Honorable mention: Mr. Geir Drange – Asker, Norway.
Head of a young crab spider

Microscopic Photography Mosquito Pupae

Honorable mention: Mr. Jerzy Rojkowski – Krakow, Poland.
Mosquito pupae
Technique: Differential interference contrast and image stacking, 10x

Microscopic Photography Butter Daisy

7th Place: Mr. Oleksandr Holovachov – Ekuddsvagen, Sweden.
Magnified Butter Daisy; Technique: Fluorescence

Microscopic Photography Peacock Feather

Honorable mention: Mr. Charles Krebs – Issaquah, WA, USA.
A peacock feather
Technique: Reflected light, 100x

Microscopic Photography Fruit Fly

1st Place: Dr. William Lemon – HHMI Janelia Research Campus // Ashburn, VA, USA .
Embryonic development of the fruit fly. This entry is a short timelapse video showing the larvae crawling off the screen at the end. Technique: Custom-built simultaneous multi-view light sheet microscopy
Co-prizewinners: Fernando Amat and Philipp Keller

Microscopic Photography Vampire Moth

8th Place: Dr. Matthew S. Lehnert – Kent State University at Stark // North Canton, OH, USA.
The proboscis of a vampire moth
Technique: Confocal microscopy
Co-prizewinners: Ashley L. Lash

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.