Each year Nikon offers up the very best of video microscopy in its Small World in Motion competition, where researchers submit their most stunning visual work. As a former bio-imaging researcher, the new approaches continue to amaze as the use of vectors to produce incredibly specific fluorescent proteins offers us new insight into cell and developmental biology. The progress is evident from comparing the sorts of work that won the contest in its first year (2011) to the current year’s winners below.

First place:  Lateral line cells and melanocytes migrating in a zebrafish embryo

Second place: 12-hour time-lapse of cultured monkey cells labeled for plasma membrane (orange) and DNA (blue)

Third place:  Sea anemone neurons and stinging cells showing their dynamic processes

David Crotty

David Crotty

David Crotty is a Senior Consultant at Clarke & Esposito, a boutique management consulting firm focused on strategic issues related to professional and academic publishing and information services. Previously, David was the Editorial Director, Journals Policy for Oxford University Press. He oversaw journal policy across OUP’s journals program, drove technological innovation, and served as an information officer. David acquired and managed a suite of research society-owned journals with OUP, and before that was the Executive Editor for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, where he created and edited new science books and journals, along with serving as a journal Editor-in-Chief. He has served on the Board of Directors for the STM Association, the Society for Scholarly Publishing and CHOR, Inc., as well as The AAP-PSP Executive Council. David received his PhD in Genetics from Columbia University and did developmental neuroscience research at Caltech before moving from the bench to publishing.

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