Nikon Announces Winner of Small World in Motion Video Contest

Nikon has announced the winner of its annual Small World in Motion competition, which highlights the beauty and complexity of microscopy. This year, the top prize was awarded to Ning Xu, an optical engineer from Tsinghua University in Beijing. Xu outperformed 346 entries from 40 countries with a high-resolution video capturing the abnormal movement of airway cilia in a child suffering from Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). PCD is a rare genetic disorder that impairs the hairlike structures responsible for clearing mucus and irritants from the lungs, often leading to chronic respiratory infections. Established in 2011 as a spinoff of the long-running Small World Photomicrography Competition, the contest showcases technological advancements in photovideography. By documenting these microscopic biological processes, the competition provides both scientific insight into genetic conditions and a unique visual perspective on the intricate mechanisms of the human body.