“SMALL WORLD”: Nikon’s annual “Small World” photomicrography competition features photographic images showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through a microscope. Dr. Bram van den Broek of The Netherlands Cancer Institute took first place in this year’s competition for his photo of a skin cell expressing an excessive amount of keratin. The top 20 images are on view at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton Through July 15.

The New Jersey State Museum is presenting Nikon “Small World” exhibition through July 15. “Small World” is Nikon’s annual photomicrography competition, featuring photographic images showcasing the beauty and complexity of life as seen through a microscope. The top 20 images are included in the exhibition, which is on view adjacent to the Planetarium lobby.

The Nikon “Small World” competition began in 1975 as a means to recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photography through the light microscope. Since then, “Small World” has become a leading showcase for photomicrographers from the widest array of scientific disciplines. A photomicrograph is a technical document that can be of great significance to science. But a good photomicrograph is also an image whose structure, color, composition, and content is an object of beauty, open to multiple levels of comprehension and appreciation. The competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography through the microscope. The subject matter is unrestricted and any type of light microscopy technique is acceptable. Entries are judged, by an independent panel of experts who are recognized authorities in the area of photomicrography and photography, on the basis of originality, informational content, technical proficiency, and visual impact.

Dr. Bram van den Broek of The Netherlands Cancer Institute took first place for his photo of a skin cell expressing an excessive amount of keratin. He came across this beautiful skin cell while researching the dynamics of keratin filaments with Andriy Volkov, a student in the cell biophysics group led by Professor Kees Jalink. “There are more than 50 different keratin proteins known in humans. The expression patterns of keratin are often abnormal in skin tumor cells, and it is thus widely used as tumor marker in cancer diagnostics,” said van den Broek. “By studying the ways different proteins like keratin dynamically change within a cell, we can better understand the progression of cancers and other diseases.”

“This year’s winners not only reflect remarkable research and trends in science, but they also allow the public to get a glimpse of a hidden world,” said Eric Flem, communications manager, Nikon Instruments. “This year’s winning photo is an example of important work being done in the world of science, and that work can be shared thanks to rapidly advancing imaging technology.”

The New Jersey State Museum, located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.statemuseum.nj.gov.