Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition Reveals the Vastly Unseen

Such minuscule details of life may be out of sight, but they’re certainly not out of existence. Back for its 2025 installment, Nikon’s Small World Photomicrography Competition (previously) highlights the complexities of our world beyond the naked eye.

From dozens of algae cells floating in a single droplet water to the inner workings of a dedifferentiated liver cell, this year’s collection of winning images and honorable mentions capture the microscopic diversity of life forms. Flip through the contest’s online gallery for more, and add some science to your feed on Instagram.

Zhang You, Kunming, Yunnan, China. Rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) on a grain of rice

Colonial algae (Volvox) spheres in a drop of water. — Dr. Jan Rosenboom, Rostock, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany. Colonial algae (Volvox) spheres in a drop of water

Rogelio Moreno, Panama City, Panama. Spore sacs (sporangia) of a fern

Dr. Francisco Lázaro-Diéguez, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Dedifferentiated liver cell

Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland. Sunflower trichomes (hair-like plant outgrowths)

Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia. Spores (blue/purple structures) of a small tropical fern (Ceratopteris richardii)

Dr. Stephen De Lisle, Karlstad University, Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Karlstad, Värmland, Sweden. Lily flower pollen (autofluorescence)

Bernard Allard, Club Français de Microscopie Sucy-en-Bry, France. Parasitic fly (Crataerina hirundinis)

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