Nikon Announces 2026 Small World Microscopy Competition Winners
The 2026 winners highlight advancements in confocal imaging technology used to document intricate cellular activity.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Botany
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Nikon has announced the winners of its 2026 Small World in Motion competition, highlighting excellence in microscopic imaging. Among the recognized entries is a video by mycologist Patrick Hickey capturing intricate cellular activity.
Why it matters
The Small World competition has served as a benchmark for microscopy techniques since its inception in 1974. By showcasing advanced visual data, the event tracks the evolution of imaging capabilities used to observe biological processes in real time.
Patrick Hickey utilized confocal laser scanning microscopy to capture his winning entry, a method that provides superior depth resolution compared to standard optical techniques. The process captures sequential line-by-line scans to reconstruct high-resolution images.
The players
Nikon
An optical and imaging corporation known for developing high-end microscopy systems used in scientific research.
Patrick Hickey
A mycologist at Hypha Research Ltd. who specializes in fungal research and microscopic imaging techniques.
The details
Confocal microscopes use a pinhole aperture to focus on a single depth plane at a time, which effectively eliminates out-of-focus light and image blur. Researchers enhance these visuals by labeling samples with fluorescent dyes that bind to specific cellular structures, allowing them to track movement within the cell. This specific video entry, recorded in Edinburgh, Scotland, visualizes dynamics within living fungal cells.
Timeline
1974: The Nikon Small World competition was established.
February 2026: Patrick Hickey recorded the cellular activity video in Edinburgh.
October 2026: Nikon announced the 2026 competition winners.
The Tech Race
The Nikon Small World competition serves as a long-standing barometer for advancements in microscopic imaging technology. This year's entries highlight the ongoing competition to improve resolution and frame rates in time-lapse confocal imaging.
These imaging techniques provide researchers with clearer windows into cellular behavior, accelerating the pace of fungal and biological studies. While these tools remain primarily in the domain of specialized research, the competition documentation offers a public look at the current state of imaging capability.
The takeaway
The Small World entries demonstrate the current ceiling for high-resolution biological time-lapse recording. Watch for next year's competition results to see if advances in scanning speed further increase the level of detail captured in living fungal structures.
Further reading
Explore more microscopic imaging developments in the Botany section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Quanta Magazine.
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