Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition 2019 One Becomes Two

Cells undergoing mitosis captured by confocal microscopy

15 November 2019

One Becomes Two

This image of cells dividing was recently placed tenth out of over 2,000 entries, from almost 100 countries, in the annual Nikon Small World competition. Now in its 45th year, the competition recognises excellence in photography through the microscope. Entrants are judged on originality, technical proficiency and visual impact. Captured here are cells (blue) that were once one, but which are now each splitting into two new and identical 'daughter' cells. The lower cells are mid-way through this split, while the top two are already distinct cells that will now move apart and act separately. The image was captured with confocal microscopy, which blocks out unnecessary light in order to produce images with high contrast and resolution. The researchers behind the image develop state-of-the-art tools to help others investigate biological processes, such as how cells migrate across tissues, how blood flow influences cancer, and how immune cells move to infected areas.

Written by Deborah Oakley

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.