The SARS-CoV-2 virus carving through human cells earned a prestigious award in the Nikon Small World in Motion 2023 competition, a distinction highlighted by New Scientist in its coverage.
Since 2011, the Nikon Small World Motion competition has showcased videos captured through advanced microscopy. Nikon Instruments, a division of Nikon Corporation that makes high end microscopes, runs the event. The contest brings to life the microcosm by presenting moving images that reveal both the beauty and the complexity of life at the smallest scales.
The 2023 winners highlighted a range of remarkable processes. A first place entry captured the development of neurons inside a chicken embryo, offering a vivid look at early neural growth. Second place featured the movement of blood through the caudal fin of a fish, illustrating fluid dynamics in a living organism. Also among the top entries was a sequence showing the destruction of human cells during infection by SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the cellular impact of the virus. In third place was imagery of the virus that causes COVID-19. Additional top contenders included a video of a beating heart in a five day old zebrafish and a collection of images depicting aquatic life from the protozoan group, each revealing motion and structure on a microscopic scale.
The Nikon Small World Jury is composed of four to five microphotographers who are selected by Nikon each year. The winning works are displayed in exhibitions and are also introduced to a broad audience through coverage in popular science media, helping to translate complex microscopic phenomena into accessible visuals.
In recent years the competition has become a bridge between scientific research and public appreciation. It highlights how tiny mechanisms drive larger biological and physical processes, and it demonstrates the diverse capabilities of modern microscopy to capture life in motion. The entries often serve as a reminder that discoveries in the micro world can illuminate questions across biology, physics, and medicine, inspiring new curiosity and understanding among viewers around the world.
[Attribution: Nikon Small World Motion and New Scientist coverage of the 2023 winners as referenced in contemporary reporting.]