First Place, 2022 Small World in Motion Competition: Lateral line cells and melanocytes migrating in a zebrafish embryo
Posted on September 13, 2022
Nikon Instruments Inc. today unveiled the winners of the 12th annual Nikon Small World in Motion Video Competition. This year’s first place prize was awarded to Dr. Eduardo E. Zattara for his visually striking video of lateral line cells and melanocytes migrating in a zebrafish embryo. Utilizing time-lapse imaging in an eight-hour window, Zattara’s video highlights the beautiful and dynamic study of evolutionary developmental biology.
Melanin-forming cells known as melanocytes (colored in orange) move below the zebrafish’s skin to reach their final positions. While in green, sensory organ progenitors migrate along the lateral line of the zebrafish embryo. Zattara used fluorescence to contrast the various cell types during this developmental period in the embryo.
“This recording came out very clean and required almost no post-processing. It is an astonishing display of the dynamics of cell migration during development,” said Zattara. “The result was a video that was both biologically informative and visually striking. It was by far my favorite microscopy video to render.”
Zattara went on to say, “While I maintain several lines of work ranging from genomics to community ecology, my main interest lies in the interaction between ecology, evolution and development. I am particularly interested in how developmental capabilities can affect evolutionary routes and ecological outcomes. While I like to consider all scales of life, I always focus on the organism to understand biological systems.”
Eric Flem, Communications and CRM Manager, Nikon Instruments said, “This year’s winning entry not only reflects the remarkable research and trends in science, but also gives the public a glimpse into a hidden world that can only be seen through a microscope. As imagining technologies continue to advance, we are seeing more scientifically relevant events in higher and more visually detailed quality.”
Second place was awarded to Dr. Christophe Leterrier for his 12-hour time-lapse of cultured monkey cells labeled for plasma membrane (orange) and DNA (blue). In order to capture this video, Leterrier had to keep the cells alive throughout the entire acquisition time, with proper temperature and humidity control, as well as minimal phototoxicity from laser illumination.
Third place was awarded to Dr. Ahmet Karabulut for his video of sea anemone neurons and stinging cells showing their dynamic processes.
The 2022 judging panel included:
Dr. Gustavo Menezes, Associate Professor and Head of the Center for Gastrointestinal Biology at the Federal University of Minas GeraisDr. Nikolay Nikolov, Senior Video Journalist at The New York TimesAnnaliese Nurnberg, Photo Editor at The Washington PostDr. Clare Waterman, Cell Biologist and Member of the National Academy of SciencesNIKON SMALL WORLD IN MOTION WINNERS
1st PlaceDr. Eduardo E. ZattaraCONICETNational Scientific and Technical Research CouncilBariloche, Rio Negro, ArgentinaLateral line cells and melanocytes migrating in a zebrafish embryoBrightfield, Confocal, Fluorescence20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
2nd PlaceDr. Christophe LeterrierINP CNRS-AMU UMR7051NeuroCyto LabMarseille, France12-hour time-lapse of cultured monkey cells labeled for plasma membrane (orange) and DNA (blue)Confocal60X (Objective Lens Magnification)
3rd PlaceDr. Ahmet KarabulutStowers Institute for Medical ReseachGibson LabKansas City, Missouri, USASea anemone neurons and stinging cells showing their dynamic processesConfocal, Fluorescence, Image Stacking40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
4th PlaceDr. Dylan T. BurnetteVanderbilt University School of MedicineDepartment of Cell and Developmental BiologyNashville, Tennessee, USADying melanoma cellsDifferential Interference Contrast (DIC)40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
5th PlaceIgnasi Vélez-Ceron, Dr. Jordi Ignés & Dr. Francesc SaguésUniversity of BarcelonaDepartment of Materials Science and Physical ChemistryBarcelona, SpainPhotosensitive active nematic layer confined in an annular channelFluorescence10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Álmos BeczEötvös Loránd TudományegyetemSzigetszentmiklós, HungaryConjugation of stentorsDarkfield4X-10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Dylan T. BurnetteVanderbilt University School of MedicineDepartment of Cell and Developmental BiologyNashville, Tennessee, USAA cell going through cell divisionConfocal, Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)60X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Dylan T. BurnetteVanderbilt University School of MedicineDepartment of Cell and Developmental BiologyNashville, Tennessee, USAA cancer cell with three nucleiConfocal60X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Yen Fook ChewWoodend, Waimakiriri, New Zealand8-hour time-lapse of a Hydra devouring Daphnia pulexDarkfield4X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Simon Cleary & Mark LooneyUniversity of California, San Francisco (UCSF)Department of MedicineSan Francisco, California, USANeutrophils (green) swarming into a mouse lung. The neutrophils block blood flow (plasma: blue, platelets: red) and migrate into airspaces. Multiphoton25X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Nicholas DesnoyerUniversity of ZurichDepartment of Plant and Microbial BiologyZurich, SwitzerlandThale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) pollen tubes guided to ovules by cues secreted from the synergid cells (pink) where they burst and release spermFluorescence10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Kristen EngevikBaylor College of MedicineDepartment of Molecular Virology & MicrobiologyHouston, Texas, USALive imaging of the effects of rotavirus infection (magenta) on calcium signaling (green) in infected and uninfected cellsFluorescence20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Olivia Feehan-Nelson & Dr. Matthew TyskaVanderbilt UniversityDepartment of Cellular and Developmental BiologyNashville, Tennessee, USA30-minute time-lapse of microvilli accumulating on the surface on an epithelial cellConfocal, Fluorescence100X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Karl GaffDublin, IrelandCrystallizing Epsom saltsPolarized Light10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Gerd GüntherDüsseldorf, GermanyVirginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) stamen hair cell divisionDifferential Interference Contrast (DIC)63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Mas Erasmus Lux JansmaAmsterdam, Noord-Holland, NetherlandsCiliates of the genus EuplotesDarkfield100X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Andrew MooreHoward Hughes Medical InstituteJanelia Research CampusAshburn, Virginia, USAThe cytoskeleton at the edge of a tissue culture cell. Actin (white) and microtubules (blue)Confocal63X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Sarang NaikMumbai, Maharashtra, IndiaA freshwater tube dwelling Annelid worm feeding on Spirogyra algae and then excreting itBrightfield10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Ewelina OszustLondon, United KingdomAquatic larva (possibly of a caddisfly) balancing an air bubble next to a volvox algaeBrightfield10X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Pablo PiedraLa Fortuna de San Carlos, Alajuela, Costa RicaBooklice (Psocoptera) feeding on a decaying orchid bee (Euglossa hansoni)Reflected Light4X-20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Benedikt PleyerKirchberg, Bavaria, GermanyCulex mosquito larvae hatching from an egg raft seen from under waterDarkfield/Oblique40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Julien ResseguierUniversity of OsloDepartment of Biosciences / ImmunologyOslo, Viken, NorwayCirculating red blood cells in zebrafishConfocal, Fluorescence60X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Dr. Julien ResseguierUniversity of OsloDepartment of Biosciences / ImmunologyOslo, Viken, NorwayNeutrophils (blue) and Macrophages (orange) within the granuloma of a zebrafish model of tuberculosisConfocal, Deconvolution, Fluorescence20X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Chloé SavardMontreal, Quebec, CanadaSpirostomum sp. ciliates swimming in a single drop of water and showing contraction movements Kristiansen Illumination (pseudo DIC), Brightfield, Reflected Light10X, 20X and 40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Chloé SavardMontreal, Quebec, CanadaHolographic Milnesium tardigrade with Euglena viridis Polarized Light40X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Varun Sheel & Dr. Walter HuynhFaze Medicines, Inc. Department of NeuroscienceCambridge, Massachusetts, USABiomolecular condensates forming in cancer cellsConfocal100X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Felix Thoma & Dr. Christof OsmanLudwig Maximilian University of MunichBiocenterPlanegg-Martinsried, Bavaria, Germany5-hour time-lapse of mitochondrial dynamics in budding yeast (S. cerevisiae)Brightfield, Deconvolution, Fluorescence, Image Stacking100X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Mikiko Tsudome & Dr. Shigeru DeguchiThe Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) Research Center for Bioscience and NanoscienceYokosuka, Kanagawa, JapanEmergence and development of structural color during the growth of a marine bacterium (Cellulophaga lytica) on agarStereomicroscopy12.5X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Wim van EgmondMicropolitan MuseumBerkel en Rodenrijs, Zuid Holland, NetherlandsMarine plankton (Phyllodoce maculata) larvaDifferential Interference Contrast (DIC)25X (Objective Lens Magnification)
Jan van IJkenJan van IJken Photography and FilmAmsterdam, Noord-Holland, NetherlandsWater flea (Polyphemus pediculus) giving birthDarkfield5X (Objective Lens Magnification)
To view all the winners, click here.