Groundbreaking image of brain tumor cells wins 50th Nikon Small World competition

Oct 17, 2024

Dunja Đuđić

Can you believe that Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is celebrating its 50th birthday?! Celebrating its golden anniversary, the contest honors a stunning photo of brain tumor cell structures. This remarkable image will advance our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, and possibly helping their treatment.

The overall winner

The first prize winner is Dr. Bruno Cisterna, with assistance from Dr. Eric Vitriol of Augusta University. This groundbreaking image of differentiated mouse brain tumor cells highlights the actin cytoskeleton, microtubules, and nuclei. It reveals how disruptions in the cell’s cytoskeleton – the structural framework and “highways” known as microtubules – can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and ALS.

Dr. Cisterna’s research revealed that profilin 1 (PFN1), a protein crucial for building the cell’s structure, plays a key role in maintaining the microtubule highways essential for cellular transport. When PFN1 or related processes are disrupted, these highways can malfunction, leading to cellular damage similar to what is observed in neurodegenerative diseases.

“One of the main problems with neurodegenerative diseases is that we don’t fully understand what causes them. To develop effective treatments, we need to figure out the basics first. Our research is crucial for uncovering this knowledge and ultimately finding a cure. Differentiated cells could be used to study how mutations or toxic proteins that cause Alzheimer’s or ALS alter neuronal morphology, as well as to screen potential drugs or gene therapies aimed at protecting neurons or restoring their function.”

Dr. Cisterna’s patience and determination were crucial in capturing the rewarded image.

“I spent about three months perfecting the staining process to ensure clear visibility of the cells. After allowing five days for the cells to differentiate, I had to find the right field of view where the differentiated and non-differentiated cells interacted. This took about three hours of precise observation under the microscope to capture the right moment, involving many attempts and countless hours of work to get it just right.“

The hard work behind this discovery underscores its significance, bringing researchers closer to answers that could potentially transform millions of lives. “After three years of research, we finally published our findings four months ago in the Journal of Cell Biology, and there’s still more work to be done,” said Dr. Cisterna. “I’m deeply passionate about scientific imaging; I’ve been following the Nikon Small World contest for about 15 years. It’s an incredible contest that highlights the beauty of photomicrography but also inspires continued exploration and innovation in the field.”

The top 20

In total, Nikon Small World recognized 88 photos out of thousands of entries from scientists and artists worldwide. Second place was awarded to Dr. Marcel Clemens for his image of an electrical arc between a pin and a wire produced by applying a potential difference of 10,000 volts.

As for the third place, it was awarded to Chris Romaine for his image of a cannabis plant leaf. The bulbous structures are trichomes, or hair-like plant appendages, and the bubbles inside are cannabinoid vesicles, fluid-filled, blister-like structures.

Below, we bring you the remaining images from the top 20 selection. But make sure to visit Nikon Small World’s website for the entire gallery, and enjoy all of these remarkable photos from the jubilee contest.

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Dunja Đuđić

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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