The Nikon Small World contest (held roughly a year ago) has shown that science isnt boring. It displayed amazing microscopic photos of things like crab eyes truffle spores brain nerves and pollen
About 2100 photos from people in 80 countries were sent in. They were judged on how good they looked and how important they could be for science
The photo that won first prize showed “differentiated mouse brain tumor cells“. It showed the cells tiny structure in a way that might help us understand brain problems like Alzheimers and Lou Gehrigs disease better
One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we dont fully understand what causes them
Bruno Cisterna made the image with help from associate professor Eric Vitriol. Vitriol leads a lab that uses new ways to look at and study cells to understand whats going on in brain diseases. Cisterna said: “To develop effective treatments we need to figure out the basics first. Our research is crucial for uncovering this knowledge and ultimately finding a cure“
You can see all the Nikon Small World photos (and images from other years) at www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-competition