2020 Photomicrography Competition

Bogong moth

Ahmad Fauzan

Affiliation
Saipem
Jakarta, Indonesia
Technique
Image Stacking
Magnification
5X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Mr. Ahmad Fauzan, an engineer by trade and microscopy hobbyist, created this image of a bogong moth with the goal of illustrating the intricate detail in this somewhat rare insect. This moth breed can take one of two forms, migratory and non-migratory, which are differentiated by the look of their hind wings. In order to capture the detail of the head, mouth and proboscis (shown), image stacking software was applied to 64 individual photographs comprising this winning picture.

Multi-nucleate spores and hyphae of a soil fungus (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus)

Dr. Vasileios Kokkoris Dr. Franck Stefani, Dr. Nicolas Corradi

Affiliation
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, University of Ottawa
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Technique
Confocal
Magnification
63X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Dr. Vasileios Kokkoris captured this photo while researching fungal and plant ecology and the symbiotic relations between the two. It is the most commonly held notion that a cell contains a single nucleus within its structure, however the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal cell carries multiple nuclei (shown) that can, in mature spores, reach hundreds or even thousands. This research is part of an ongoing study to understand the relationship between soil fungus and plants for agriculture. It was taken with a confocal microscope in order to visualize the nuclei as well as the hyphal and spore walls simultaneously.

Hebe plant anther with pollen

Dr. Robert Markus Zsuzsa Markus

Affiliation
University of Nottingham
School of Life Sciences, Super Resolution Microscopy
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom
Technique
Confocal
Magnification
10X (Objective Lens Magnification)

Dr. Robert Markus, a super-resolution and confocal microscopy senior imaging technician from the University of Nottingham, took this image of a Hebe plant anther with pollen in order to create awareness of the beauty of the natural world around us and to help showcase the performance of the latest microscope technology. It was captured using the highest numerical aperture lens for low magnification and confocal lasers set to mimic how the subject would look under UV light. It shows in very high detail anther pollen and the cell structures within the plant.