“To understand this disease, you need to watch the cilia through dozens of beat cycles, not just a still image,” says winner of 16th annual Nikon Small World in Motion competition
Microscopic videos unveil alien worlds unseen by the naked eye in long-running Nikon Small World competition
The Nikon Small World in Motion competition for 2026 has revealed its winners, showcasing the remarkable world of microvideography. This annual event not only celebrates the visual beauty of microscopic videos but also highlights the scientific significance of this niche imaging technique in research. Dr. Ning Xu from China's Tsinghua University emerged victorious with a video depicting the abnormal beating of a cellular structure, which indicates a rare genetic respiratory function disorder.
Dr. Xu emphasized the importance of observing this abnormality through a series of beats rather than a single still image. The winning video faced unique challenges, such as the risk of the sample dying or changing behavior during the imaging process. To address these issues, Dr. Xu employed light shaping techniques using light waves and a digital micromirror, employing diffractive super-resolution microscopy to achieve a magnification of 100x.
The winning video, along with the second and third place entries, illustrates the fascinating depths of microscopic life, from a roundworm and Dileptus to jellyfish larvae in water droplets. These winning entries add to the rich history of the Nikon Small World competition, now in its 16th year, and demonstrate the ongoing relevance of microvideography in scientific and medical research.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
