Nikon Small World in Motion 2026 Winner Revealed
▼ Summary
– Ning Xu, an optical engineer from Tsinghua University, won the Nikon Small World in Motion competition with his super-resolution video.
– His winning entry captured the abnormal beating of airway cilia in a child suffering from Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia.
– The competition received 346 video entries from 40 countries and is designed to showcase microscopic beauty through photovideography.
– Founded in 2011, the event is a spinoff of Nikon’s long-standing still photography contest that began in 1974.
– Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia is a genetic disorder where defective cilia fail to clear irritants, leading to respiratory infections.
Nikon Small World in Motion 2026 has crowned its latest champion, highlighting the intersection of advanced microscopy and medical science. The prestigious video competition, organized by Nikon, selected a submission from a Chinese optical engineer that offers a rare glimpse into the cellular mechanics of a serious genetic condition.
Ning Xu, an engineer at Tsinghua University in Beijing, emerged victorious among a global pool of competitors. His entry stood out from 346 other video submissions originating from 40 different countries. The winning piece is a super-resolution video capturing the erratic movement of cilia within the airways of a young patient suffering from Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). This condition is a rare genetic disorder that significantly impairs respiratory function.
The competition launched in 2011 as a dynamic counterpart to Nikon’s long-standing Small World Photomicrography Competition, which began in 1974. While the original contest focuses on still images, the motion category leverages modern technological capabilities to produce movies and time-lapse sequences. Both initiatives share a common mission: “to showcase the beauty and complexity of things seen through the light microscope.” By utilizing photovideography, these competitions demonstrate how contemporary tools allow users to visualize microscopic worlds with unprecedented clarity and detail.
The subject of Xu’s award-winning footage, PCD, impacts the tiny, hairlike structures known as cilia that line various parts of the body, including the lungs. In healthy individuals, these cilia exhibit a coordinated, wavelike motion essential for clearing pathogens, mucus, dust, and other irritants from the respiratory tract. This clearance mechanism typically results in coughing or sneezing, effectively expelling harmful substances. However, in those born with PCD, the cilia are structurally or functionally defective. They may be malformed, abnormally sized, entirely absent, or immobile. Consequently, irritants accumulate rather than being cleared, leading to chronic respiratory infections and other severe health complications.
(Source: Ars Technica)
