Zebrafish Embryo Selfie Wins 2016 Nikon Small World Competition
Posted on October 19, 2016
This cute selfie-like image of a zebrafish embryo won the 2016 Nikon Small World Competition. The photograph was taken by Dr. Oscar Ruiz. This year is the 42nd year of the competition which received over 2,000 entries from scientists, photographers and hobbyists.
The zebrafish embryo in the image is four days old. Dr. Ruiz uses the zebrafish to study genetic mutations that can lead to facial abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate in humans. He works in the lab of Dr. George Eisenhoffer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Eric Flem, Communications Manager, Nikon Instruments, says in the announcement, "Whether an image provides a rare glimpse into cutting-edge medical research as we saw from our first place winner, or reveals a fun “too-close-for-comfort” look into the eyes of a spider like one of our Images of Distinction, each evokes a powerful reaction from our judges. Every year we're looking for that image that makes people lean forward in their seats, sparks their curiosity and leads them to ask new questions. Nearly 100 years of microscopy has paved the way for the evolving technology and innovative techniques that continue to raise the bar of this competition. Congratulations to all of the winners and entrants for their incredible work."
The second place winner was an image of a polished slab of Teepee Canyon agate by Douglas L. Moore. You can view the gallery of winners and finalists here on the Nikon Small World site.
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