A Stunning Brain Tumor Image Wins Nikon's 2024 Photomicrography Contest

Did you know that a single image can reveal secrets about diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS? That's exactly what happened at Nikon's 2024 photomicrography contest. The winner was an image of brain tumor cells from a mouse, snapped by Bruno Cisterna and Eric Vitriol from Augusta University in Georgia. This eye-catching photo gives scientists a peek into how these neurodegenerative diseases might start. "Understanding these diseases is like solving a puzzle, " Cisterna explained. "We need to know the basics before we can find a cure. This research could help us study how mutations or toxic proteins change brain cells and test potential treatments. " By the way, have you heard about photomicrography? It's when you attach a camera to a microscope, like an optical or electron microscope, to take super-detailed pictures. This contest by Nikon is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It was started in 1974 to show off the beauty and intricate details seen through microscopes. Even though scientists have been using this method since the 1850s, it's only in recent decades that digital imaging has made it even more amazing.

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