2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest

2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest

Winners in Five Categories Nominated

For the second year in a row, ZEISS celebrates the work of researchers using microscopy in various application fields with the ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest. ZEISS users from all around the globe submitted almost 1,000 fascinating entries. We were honored by their participation and fascinated by the quality of images we received across different research interests and application types.

A big thank you to all the participants!

Explore the winning images and honorable mentions of the 2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest on this page.

Winning Images 2022

In Five Categories

  • Oral bacteria, acquired with ZEISS LSM 900 with Airyscan
  • Vanadium disulfide semiconductor nanoparticles, acquired with ZEISS GeminiSEM 300
  • Microfossil of radiolarian, acquired with ZEISS LSM 780
  • Vitamin C crystals, acquired with a ZEISS Axio Scope.A1 light microscope
  • Head of mosquito larva,  acquired with ZEISS Axiostar
  • Oral bacteria, acquired with ZEISS LSM 900 with Airyscan
    Oral bacteria, acquired with ZEISS LSM 900 with Airyscan

    Life Sciences: Oral Bacteria

    Dr. Tagide deCarvalho, Director of the Keith R. Porter Imaging Facility at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (USA)

    The image shows tongue epithelial cells adjoined by several different species of bacteria which form a complex biofilm on the tongue’s surface. The sample has been stained with DAPI, acridine orange and calcofluor white and was acquired with the ZEISS LSM 900 confocal microscope with Airyscan detector.

    “In addition to the imaging I perform for scientific collaborations and research studies, I take my own microscopy images from samples that I find in my personal environment”, explains deCarvalho her inspiration for this sample.

  • Vanadium disulfide semiconductor nanoparticles, acquired with ZEISS GeminiSEM 300
    Vanadium disulfide semiconductor nanoparticles, acquired with ZEISS GeminiSEM 300

    Materials Science: Vanadium Disulfide Semiconductor Nanoparticles

    Dr. Ümit Bayram, Central Research Facility at Abdullah Gül University, Kayseri (Turkey)

    The image shows the nanostructure of Vanadium disulfide for which Bayram has studied the photocatalytic properties. It has been acquired with a ZEISS GeminiSEM 300 scanning electron microscope.

    “The goal with this imaging is to show that nanomaterials with a desired nano size and large surface area have been successfully synthesized and to characterize them accurately”, Bayram emphasizes the quality of the image.  “At first glance, this image gave me the feeling of "the coolest flowers in a nano-sized flower shop", he recounts.

  • Microfossil of radiolarian, acquired with ZEISS LSM 780
    Microfossil of radiolarian, acquired with ZEISS LSM 780

    Geosciences & Natural Resources: Microfossil of Radiolarian for Micropaleontology

    Dr. Sebastien Colin, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tuebingen (Germany)

    The diversity of modern marine unicellular eukaryotes, the dynamic of their populations and their complex interaction networks are still poorly understood – yet they are responsible for a significant part of the Earth’s biogeochemistry.

    “Using a confocal microscope to reveal the elegant skeleton of ancient radiolarians that were drifting in the ocean tens to hundreds of thousands of years before the invention of optical sectioning fascinates me”, says Colin.  The image has been acquired with a ZEISS LSM 780 confocal microscope.

      

  • Vitamin C crystals, acquired with a ZEISS Axio Scope.A1 light microscope
    Vitamin C crystals, acquired with a ZEISS Axio Scope.A1 light microscope

    Education: Vitamin C Crystals

    Dr. Robert Berdan, Science & Art Multimedia, Calgary (Canada)

    Vitamin C, when dissolved in water and ethanol and then dried on a microscope slide, often forms large, beautiful crystals that can be viewed with polarized light microscopy. This image has been acquired with a ZEISS Axio Scope.A1 light microscope.

    “Sometimes vitamin C crystals form in large sheets and other times the crystals are isolated and can appear star-shaped and sun-like“, describes Berdan one of his favorite samples.   “I have been fascinated with microscopes, photography and single-celled organisms since I was a teenager. Most of my photomicrographs are now used for education”, he summarizes.

  • Head of mosquito larva,  acquired with ZEISS Axiostar
    Head of mosquito larva,  acquired with ZEISS Axiostar

    Microscopy as a Hobby: Head of Mosquito Larva

    Hong Lin, Foshan City (China)

    Lin's work focuses on the diversity of aquatic microorganisms in river waters. The sample is taken from a mosquito larva in the Pearl River in Guangzhou. The image has been  acquired with a ZEISS Axiostar light microscope.

    “I am very happy to have taken this photograph, which illustrates the tracheal distribution of the thorax and head of a mosquito larva. And I think it is a successful attempt to combine science and art”, describes Lin his success.

Being awarded third place in last year’s image contest, it has been both an honor and a great experience to serve as part of the jury in this year’s contest. I was overwhelmed by the quality and variety of the images. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the prize-winners of the 2022 ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest.

Professor Bernardo Cesare | University of Padua, Italy

Honorable Mentions

Cleared Mouse Brain
Cleared Mouse Brain

Cleared Mouse Brain

ZEISS LSM 880 with Airyscan

C.-W. L. Hsu, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (USA)

Paraffin Section of Mouse Large Intestine
Paraffin Section of Mouse Large Intestine

Paraffin Section of Mouse Large Intestine

ZEISS LSM 700

Z. Johan, University of South Australia, Adelaide (Australia)

Mouse Intestinal Entire Organoid
Mouse Intestinal Entire Organoid

Mouse Intestinal Entire Organoid

ZEISS LSM 980 with Airyscan 2

S. Saha, University of Stuttgart (Germany)

Cleared Spider
Cleared Spider

Cleared Spider

ZEISS Lightsheet Z.1

S. Dupichaud, Plateforme d'Imagerie Cellulaire SFR Necker, Paris (France)

Glass Microspheres
Glass Microspheres

Glass Microspheres

ZEISS Axio Imager

Y. Xie, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou (China)

Calcite Crystals on the Edge of a Mytilus Galloprovincialis Shell
Calcite Crystals on the Edge of a Mytilus Galloprovincialis Shell

Calcite Crystals on a Shell

ZEISS AURIGA

A. González Segura, University of Granada (Spain)

Pollinating Achillea Millefolium Flower
Pollinating Achillea Millefolium Flower

Pollinating Yarrow Flower

ZEISS EVO

Z. Adamski, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań (Poland)

Petrographic Thin Section
Petrographic Thin Section

Petrographic Thin Section

ZEISS Primostar 3

A. Da Mommio, University of Milan (Italy)

Cetonia Aurata (Rose Chafer)
Cetonia Aurata (Rose Chafer)

Cetonia Aurata (Rose Chafer)

ZEISS Xradia 620 Versa

S. Pechmann, Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, Forchheim (Germany)

Quartz Monzonite
Quartz Monzonite

Quartz Monzonite

ZEISS MERLIN

M.V. Santos Leandro, Stellenbosch University (South Africa)

Rodent Organ of Corti
Rodent Organ of Corti

Rodent Organ of Corti

ZEISS Sigma VP

L. Andrade, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego (USA)

Mouse Hippocampus
Mouse Hippocampus

Mouse Hippocampus

ZEISS LSM 800

J.-S. Won, Biomedical Research Institute of Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu (South Korea)

About the Contest

The  ZEISS Microscopy Image Contest  is a competition held by ZEISS for images taken with a ZEISS microscope. In 2022, the submission phase took place between April 1 – May 15. The authors of the five winning images will receive their prizes shortly. All winning images and some Honorable Mentions will be included into the ZEISS Microscopy Calendar 2023.

With this image contest, ZEISS is celebrating the work of researchers using microscopy in various application fields.  Microscope systems, analytics, and imaging capabilities play a central role in enabling us to meet the critical challenges we face as a society related to climate change, energy, health, and food.


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