Dec 18 2012
The judges dove Down Under to select an Australian video of freshwater rotifers as First Prize winner in the 2012 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition®, the world's foremost forum for showcasing microscope photos and movies of life science subjects. Ralph Grimm , a teacher from Jimboomba, Australia, captured the fascinating 58-second video showing the super-fast movements of tiny animals whose hair-like cilia beat constantly to sweep food into their mouths.
FANTASY FERN? It may not look like any plant you’ve ever seen, but this amazing image actually depicts a common East-coast American fern called Polypodium virginianum. Igor Siwanowicz of the HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, VA, USA earned Third Prize in the 2012 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition® for this confocal microscope image.
The movie depicts colonies of rotifers found in a lily pond, their spot-like red eyes and internal organs captured through the use of differential interference contrast illumination. The first video ever to capture First Prize in the competition, it earned Mr. Grimm $5,000 worth of Olympus equipment.
Now in its ninth year, the Olympus BioScapes Competition is a premier platform for honoring images and movies of human, plant and animal subjects as captured through light microscopes. Images of any life science subject are eligible. Entries are judged based on the science they depict, their aesthetics (beauty or impact of the image), and their technical expertise. Competitors can use any brand of microscope. This year, more than 2000 entries came in from a record-breaking 70 countries; in addition to 10 top award-winning recipients, Honorable Mentions went to 62 images and movies. The 2012 honorees reflect the latest advances in neuroscience and cell biology as documented by researchers, along with amazing glimpses of micro-life captured by hobbyists, students and other photographers.
"These fascinating and beautiful images shed light on the living universe around us, showing us the intimate structures and dynamic events of life in ways that we cannot ordinarily see," said Brad Burklow , Executive Director, Business Development for the Scientific Equipment Group of Olympus America Inc. "BioScapes movies and still images remind us of the fascination and beauty of the natural world, and highlight important work going on in laboratories across the globe. The BioScapes Competition allows Olympus to bring amazing images and stories to the attention of scientists and non-scientists alike."
Exhibits of winning BioScapes images will tour cities across the U.S., Mexico, South America, Canada and the Middle East throughout 2013.
The Olympus BioScapes Competition will celebrate its landmark 10th Anniversary in 2013 and that competition, which closes September 30, 2013, is already open for participants. See more images or enter the competition at our website.